Support from his family allows Pitt’s Cox to shine

Torrie Cox’s smile lights up an entire room.

But the 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound cornerback… Torrie Cox’s smile lights up an entire room.

But the 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound cornerback is known for more than his gold teeth and glistening smile.

“It’s a southern thing. It’s something that I have had since I was young,” Cox said. “My great grandma, grandma and aunty had them. It’s a tradition and makes my smile brighter.”

He is also known for his play on both special teams and defense. Cox was voted in as a special teams captain twice by his teammates.

“He has been an outstanding special teams player for us,” head coach Walt Harris said. “He has been a two-time special teams captain, which is voted on by all the players on the special teams.”

Cox is from Miami, where he played high school football at Miami Northwestern High School. He was born Oct. 29, 1980, and has two brothers and two sisters.

“It was fun [growing up in Miami] all of my life,” Cox said. “I don’t have any complaints. I tell people that [Miami] is where they need to go on vacation.”

Cox’s interest in football peaked when he was 8 years old and his uncle would take him park to play.

“Ever since then it has been fun. It is the love of my life,” Cox said. “If it wasn’t for my uncle I don’t know what I would be doing.”

In his senior year of high school, Cox was selected as to the first team All-State team, first team All-City team and first team All-Dade County team.

Cox rushed for more than 1,500 yards that season and led Dade County in touchdowns; he was also selected to play in the Georgia-Florida all-star game. Miami Northwestern went 16-0 during the 1998 season and won the 6A championship, the largest classification.

Pitt did not originally recruit Cox to play cornerback, as he was a running back in high school.

“He really likes to play; he taught himself how to be a defensive back,” Harris said. “He and coach [Paul] Rhoads have really done an outstanding job of him gaining experience fast. He is a tremendous competitor and is very athletic.”

Cox chose Pitt because he wanted to see what life was like in the north.

“I wanted to get away and experience other lifestyles,” Cox said. “I wanted to see what life was like up north and I was the only running back [Pitt] recruited at the time.”

“He was the most highly decorated of the guys on his high school football team,” Harris said. “I think he liked the idea of getting away from home and playing in another part of the country, and I think he liked our coaches and felt comfortable, so he came our way.”

Cox started his career at Pitt behind former running backs Kevan Barlow and Nick Goings, who are now in the National Football League. He saw action in seven games as he rushed for 62 yards on 26 attempts. Cox also saw action on special teams returning kickoffs.

During the 2000 season, Cox asked to be moved to defense after beginning the year as a back up tailback.

“I wasn’t use to sitting on the sidelines. I felt that I either had to make a move or wait another year [to play],” Cox said. “God told me to make that move. If coach Rhoads wouldn’t have been here I don’t know where I would have been.”

By the 2001 season, Cox had emerged as a starter at cornerback, starting all 12 games. Cox was able to justify Rhoads moving him to cornerback as he was ranked third in the Big East in passes defended with 12.

The highlight of Cox’s career came in the Panthers’ 28-21 win over Virginia Tech Nov. 2. Cox recorded an interception in that game.

“The Virginia Tech game [is my most memorable moment as a Panther] when I had an interception and we beat the No. 3 ranked team,” Cox said. “That was big time; I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

Cox is majoring in communications and enjoys watching sports shows on television as a hobby.

“I only watch sports shows on television,” Cox said. “I’m in the house all day because I’m a house boy. If it has anything to do with sports, I’m interested.”

The hardest thing for Cox to get used to after moving to Pittsburgh was the weather. In Miami, the winter temperature ranges between 65 and 75 degrees compared to Pittsburgh’s, which hover at about 30 degrees.

“Weather wise, it has been tough. It’s more fast pace up north, but it wasn’t too tough to make the adjustment,” Cox said. “The weather was the main thing because I’m not used to the cold. I like to be wrapped up when it’s cold.”

Cox will get to return home Nov. 21 when the Panthers take on Miami. Cox is excited and is looking forward to the trip.

“It’s my last time going down there to play college football in front of family and friends.” Cox said.