By BRENT WORONOFF, News-Journal
DAYTONA BEACH -- Antwane and Antonio Cox are like mirror images. The same smile. The same haircut. The same easy demeanor.
About the only way to tell Bethune-Cookman's identical twins apart is on the football field. Antwane is No. 4. Antonio is No. 9.
Four games into their Wildcat careers, the sophomore cornerbacks have become double trouble for B-CU opponents. Combined, they have three fumble recoveries, two interceptions, a touchdown and a blocked kick.
Not bad for a couple of guys who couldn't even get on the field when they were at the University of South Florida. B-CU hopes they can add to those stats in Saturday's homecoming game when the Wildcats host Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Morgan State.
Photo: Identical twins Antonio, left, and Antwane Cox are the starting cornerbacks for Bethune-Cookman University.
The redshirt sophomores transferred to B-CU this past offseason.
"We just wanted an opportunity to showcase our talent," Antwane said. "(USF has) two cornerbacks (Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams) who are up for the NFL Draft, and we probably would have had to wait at least another year to get on the field."
"We always knew," Antonio said, "that if it didn't work at the Division I level we would come to Bethune."
The brothers' goal is to join two of their cousins -- Torrie Cox of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Marcus Hudson of the San Francisco 49ers -- in the NFL. That would give the family four NFL cornerbacks. But then again, everybody in the family plays cornerback.
Cousin Kennard Cox is a senior cornerback at the University of Pittsburgh. And Hudson has three brothers who also played college football -- Nathaniel and Eric at Bethune-Cookman and Kevin at Iowa State.
"I guess cornerback is in our blood," Antonio said. "We see our cousins playing that position, so we want to play the same position."
Eric Hudson actually played safety when he was at B-CU in 1992-95, and the twins' 11-year-old brother might actually become a receiver, Antonio suspects. But as for the twins, they're used to manning opposite sides of the field on defense.
Antwane has started four straight games for the Wildcats and leads B-CU's cornerbacks in tackles with 18. Antonio has been the first corner off the bench, and he's quickly becoming known as a big-play specialist. He returned a fumble 52 yards against South Carolina State and he ran back an interception 42 yards for a touchdown against Norfolk State last week.
Antwane came close to matching his brother's heroics in the Norfolk State game. His interception in the end zone would have clinched a B-CU victory, but he was called for pass interference, and the Spartans went on to score the winning touchdown with 36 seconds left. B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt says the interception was clean, and the only contact on the play came after he stepped in front of the receiver and the receiver pulled the front of his jersey trying to knock the ball away.
"Antwane caught on when he first hit the field here," Wyatt said. "Antonio was a little bit behind. But now he's putting a lot of pressure on (starter) Brent Davis."
Off the field the twins have been just as impressive, Wyatt said.
"They're a couple of quiet guys," Wyatt said. "They just say, 'Yes sir and no sir,' They're two kids who are responsible and reliable. They're just a pleasure to be around."
Wyatt said B-CU's coaching staff knew of the twins when they were in high school, and knew that they were "D-I players all the way." But they've become the fourth and fifth players in the past three years to transfer from USF to B-CU because of a lack of playing time at the Big East school.
In the case of Cox twins, B-CU was their backup plan since they were youngsters going to Wildcat games to watch their older cousins play.
"We always wanted to play for Bethune-Cookman," Antwane said. "The skill players are pretty much the same here as they are in the Big East. The only difference are the linemen."
As for the twins, there seems to be no difference in appearance, behavior or football ability.
"We're around each other 24-7, and we're always pushing each other," Antonio said. "Our strengths are pretty much the same. I was adjusting early, but it's coming along now, and both of us are making plays."
DAYTONA BEACH -- Antwane and Antonio Cox are like mirror images. The same smile. The same haircut. The same easy demeanor.
About the only way to tell Bethune-Cookman's identical twins apart is on the football field. Antwane is No. 4. Antonio is No. 9.
Four games into their Wildcat careers, the sophomore cornerbacks have become double trouble for B-CU opponents. Combined, they have three fumble recoveries, two interceptions, a touchdown and a blocked kick.
Not bad for a couple of guys who couldn't even get on the field when they were at the University of South Florida. B-CU hopes they can add to those stats in Saturday's homecoming game when the Wildcats host Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Morgan State.
Photo: Identical twins Antonio, left, and Antwane Cox are the starting cornerbacks for Bethune-Cookman University.The redshirt sophomores transferred to B-CU this past offseason.
"We just wanted an opportunity to showcase our talent," Antwane said. "(USF has) two cornerbacks (Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams) who are up for the NFL Draft, and we probably would have had to wait at least another year to get on the field."
"We always knew," Antonio said, "that if it didn't work at the Division I level we would come to Bethune."
The brothers' goal is to join two of their cousins -- Torrie Cox of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Marcus Hudson of the San Francisco 49ers -- in the NFL. That would give the family four NFL cornerbacks. But then again, everybody in the family plays cornerback.
Cousin Kennard Cox is a senior cornerback at the University of Pittsburgh. And Hudson has three brothers who also played college football -- Nathaniel and Eric at Bethune-Cookman and Kevin at Iowa State.
"I guess cornerback is in our blood," Antonio said. "We see our cousins playing that position, so we want to play the same position."
Eric Hudson actually played safety when he was at B-CU in 1992-95, and the twins' 11-year-old brother might actually become a receiver, Antonio suspects. But as for the twins, they're used to manning opposite sides of the field on defense.
Antwane has started four straight games for the Wildcats and leads B-CU's cornerbacks in tackles with 18. Antonio has been the first corner off the bench, and he's quickly becoming known as a big-play specialist. He returned a fumble 52 yards against South Carolina State and he ran back an interception 42 yards for a touchdown against Norfolk State last week.
Antwane came close to matching his brother's heroics in the Norfolk State game. His interception in the end zone would have clinched a B-CU victory, but he was called for pass interference, and the Spartans went on to score the winning touchdown with 36 seconds left. B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt says the interception was clean, and the only contact on the play came after he stepped in front of the receiver and the receiver pulled the front of his jersey trying to knock the ball away.
"Antwane caught on when he first hit the field here," Wyatt said. "Antonio was a little bit behind. But now he's putting a lot of pressure on (starter) Brent Davis."
Off the field the twins have been just as impressive, Wyatt said.
"They're a couple of quiet guys," Wyatt said. "They just say, 'Yes sir and no sir,' They're two kids who are responsible and reliable. They're just a pleasure to be around."
Wyatt said B-CU's coaching staff knew of the twins when they were in high school, and knew that they were "D-I players all the way." But they've become the fourth and fifth players in the past three years to transfer from USF to B-CU because of a lack of playing time at the Big East school.
In the case of Cox twins, B-CU was their backup plan since they were youngsters going to Wildcat games to watch their older cousins play.
"We always wanted to play for Bethune-Cookman," Antwane said. "The skill players are pretty much the same here as they are in the Big East. The only difference are the linemen."
As for the twins, there seems to be no difference in appearance, behavior or football ability.
"We're around each other 24-7, and we're always pushing each other," Antonio said. "Our strengths are pretty much the same. I was adjusting early, but it's coming along now, and both of us are making plays."Antonio Cox
CLASS: Sophomore
HOMETOWN: Miami
HIGH SCHOOL: Killian
LAST COLLEGE: South Florida
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6 feet, 180 pounds
POSITION: Defensive back
2007 STATS: Eight tackles, one interception (42 return yards), one fumble recovery (returned for 52 yards) -- through four games
Antwane Cox
CLASS: Sophomore
HOMETOWN: Miami
HIGH SCHOOL: Killian
LAST COLLEGE: South Florida
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
POSITION: Defensive back
2007 STATS: 18 tackles (two for a loss), two fumble recoveries (10 returnyards), one forced fumble and one blocked kick -- through four games.
CLASS: Sophomore
HOMETOWN: Miami
HIGH SCHOOL: Killian
LAST COLLEGE: South Florida
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6 feet, 180 pounds
POSITION: Defensive back
2007 STATS: Eight tackles, one interception (42 return yards), one fumble recovery (returned for 52 yards) -- through four games
Antwane Cox
CLASS: Sophomore
HOMETOWN: Miami
HIGH SCHOOL: Killian
LAST COLLEGE: South Florida
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
POSITION: Defensive back
2007 STATS: 18 tackles (two for a loss), two fumble recoveries (10 returnyards), one forced fumble and one blocked kick -- through four games.
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