Radford High School’s Nathan Cox (center front row) officially announced Wednesday he would attend W&L to continue his football career. Also pictured are family members (from left) sister Ella, Mother Jayne, father Ken and brother Ben. Back row includes: (from left) Coach Matthew Saunders and Radford Athletic Director Greg Wade.
Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
Nathan Cox anchored an offensive line this year at Radford High School that included a lot of underclassmen, forcing him to be a leader on and off the field.
The senior signed a letter of intent Wednesday to continue his playing career next season at Washington and Lee University.
“They have great academics, and that’s important to me and was a huge factor. I also went to a football camp at the school and just fell in love with the campus,” Cox said.
Cox (6’3, 310) was named as the 2017 Wendy’s High School Heisman School winner for Radford High School.
His coach, Matthew Saunders, said Cox has gone about it (his student-athlete experience) the right way.
“We’re very proud of him,” he said.
The Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholarship was created by the chain’s founder Dave Thomas in 1994. Inspired by his desire to celebrate the outstanding achievements of youth in America, Thomas launched the Wendy’s High School Heisman program.
The honor is awarded to a high achieving senior athlete who excels in the classroom, on the field and in the community. An award winner must maintain a 3.0 or better GPA and must be a proven leader within their school and community.
Cox keeps this balance. In school, he maintains a 4.13 grade point average and a rigorous schedule of advanced placement classes. In sports, he has been committed to football throughout his school career.
Cox began playing football in elementary school, with his dad as a coach. His father played college football at the University of North Carolina, so it was only natural for Cox to follow in his footsteps. He cites his father as his inspiration for sticking with football, as he hoped to live up to his dad’s reputation on the field.
The university’s coaching staff told Cox he will play offensive line for them.
W&L claimed another Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) title this fall, finishing with an 8-3 overall record and a 5-1 mark in conference play. The Generals finished the season ranked second nationally in rushing and held eventual national champion Mount Union to just 276 yards and 21 points in a 21-0 loss to the Purple Raiders in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Scott Abell resigned as W&L’s head football coach last month to accept the same position at Davidson College.
A national search is currently underway to find Abell’s replacement. W&L will lose 12 seniors this year. Cox is undecided on his major but is looking forward to playing at the next level.