Background and career
Fletcher Cox (born December 13, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 12 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and was selected by the Eagles in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. During his career, Cox won a Super Bowl, was selected to the Pro Bowl six times, and was named an All-Pro four times.
Cox attended Yazoo City High School in Yazoo City, Mississippi. He played football, basketball, and was on the track and field team. He competed in the high jump and in the relays. At the 2009 Division 3-4A Meet, he placed eighth in the high jump event, with a leap of 1.74 meters. In relays, he had personal best times of 44.32 seconds in the 4 × 100m relay and 1:32.63 minutes in the 4 × 200m relay. He was credited with a 4.47 time in the 40-yard dash, and benched 300 lb. As a senior, he had 104 tackles including 10 quarterback sacks. He also had an interception and a fumble recovery. He was selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School All-Star game. Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Cox was rated as being the fifth-best weak side defensive end in the country, the second-best prospect in Mississippi, and the 17th-best defensive end prospect in the country by Scout.com. He chose to attend Mississippi State over scholarship offers from LSU, Alabama, Auburn, and Ole Miss.
Cox played football for three seasons at Mississippi State University. He was named an All-American by Pro Football Weekly as a junior in 2011, after making 56 total tackles and five sacks. He had two interceptions, of which one was for a touchdown. After the season, he declared for the 2012 NFL draft, forgoing his senior season.
The Philadelphia Eagles traded up from the 15th selection to select Cox with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He is the highest selected Mississippi State Bulldog since Michael Haddix in 1983, and the highest selected Bulldog defensive lineman since Jimmy Webb in 1975. Cox was signed to a four-year contract on June 18, 2012. On October 14, 2012, Cox was ejected after throwing punches at Detroit Lions players, and was fined $21,000. During his rookie year in 2012, he played 15 games and finished with 39 tackles, 5.5 sacks, four passes defended, and one forced fumble. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
With the Eagles switching to playing a 3–4 type defense in 2013, Cox played defensive end. In 2013, he started all 16 games and finished with 44 tackles, three sacks, three passes defended, and one fumble recovery.
In the 2014 regular season opener for the Eagles, Cox had a 17-yard defensive fumble return for a touchdown in the 34–17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Week 13, against the Seahawks, he had a career high 11 total tackles in the 24–14 loss. The 2014 season was a breakout year for Cox, acquiring 61 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries in 16 games. His presence along the Eagles defensive line led to league-wide recognition and Second-team All-Pro honors.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
