Matthew Stafford’s wife, Kelly Stafford, recently gained attention after revealing that she dated her husband’s backup quarterback in college to make him jealous.
As her statements sent fans into a frenzy, many tried to identify which backup she used to get a reaction from the now Los Angeles Rams star.
Joe Cox, who played for the Bulldogs along with Stafford, had his name tossed around the media storm. Amid the fracas, Kelly publicly apologized to the father of three for his unsolicited involvement in the controversy.
Here, DailyMail.com looks at the life of Joe Cox, the former Georgia quarterback turned Alabama coach.
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Cox headed further south in college to play for the University of Georgia in 2005 after being named the Tar Heel State’s Gatorade Player of the Year in his senior year at Independence High School.
Joe Cox has been caught in a media storm following recent comments from Kelly Stafford
Kelly previously went on a podcast and admitted she dated one of her husband’s college back-up players – but has now insisted that the man in question wasn’t Cox
While Cox was a highly-sought recruit, the Bulldogs signed Stafford during his sophomore year and placed Cox down the depth chart.
Stafford remained in Athens from 2006-2008, during which his college love story with then Kelly Hall began. It was during that time when the former cheerleader’s infamous dating story took place.
Cox regained the starting position for the Bulldogs in 2009 before graduating with his bachelor’s degree in psychology.
As the offensive captain, Cox led the UGA to a record of 8-5 and was named Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week for his five-touchdown, 375-yard performance at Arkansas. Cox completed 56 percent of his passes for 3,016 yards and 29 touchdowns in his NCAA career.
After graduation, Cox returned to the Queen City and took a coaching staff position at Mallard Creek High School. He then went on a string of successful tenures at the collegiate level before landing in Tuscaloosa.
The Staffords – now happily married – endured a difficult start to their relationship at college
Cox (L) and Joe Tereshinski (R) were back-up quarterbacks at Georgia while Stafford was the starter, but the identity of the mystery player has still not been revealed
Cox landed in Georgia after a successful high school career at Independence High School (NC)
Cox was named North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year following his senior season
Cox served as a graduate assistant at Colorado State before becoming their tight end coach for three seasons (2016-18) and wide receivers coach in his final year in Fort Collins.
Cox helped propel a Rams’ offense in one of the most productive seasons in school history. CSU has posted two of the top five scoring seasons in school history and two of the top four marks for total offense with Cox on the staff, including a school-record 492.5 yards per game in 2017.
In 2019, the Rams ranked 14th in the nation in passing offense, averaging 305.3 yards per game.
From there, he spent the 2020 season coaching wide receivers at South Carolina before joining the Crimson Tide in February 2022 as Nick Saban’s tight ends coach.
Cox became a backup when Stafford arrived in Athens but regained the starting role in 2009
After graduating, Cox coached at Colorado State and South Carolina before joining Alabama
Kelly apologized to Joe and his wife Erica for their unsolicited involvement in the media storm
Cox and his wife Erica married in March 2016. The pair share a daughter, Aver, and twin sons, Jace and Tate. While the length of their relationship is not public, Stafford’s apology suggests that Joe met Erica while playing for the Bulldogs.
‘To this beautiful fam… I am sorry for the media storm that happened last week that made its way into your lives,’ she wrote in an Instagram story with an image of Joe, his wife Erica, and their three children.
Kelly went on to praise Joe and Erica – who was also a Bulldogs cheerleader – for being the couple that she and Matthew ‘looked up to’.
‘You had ZERO involvement in what I spoke about and in fact it was y’alls relationship in college that I looked up to and wanted for me and Matthew,’ she went on.
‘You were the couple that everyone thinks Matthew and I was.. y’all were the UGA QB and cheerleader that met and never let go. I love y’all.’
