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A job interview doesn’t usually cost enough to make a guy take out a loan, but few require 10 months of full-time training. With that comes costs for plane tickets, food, supplements, equipment, gym memberships and gas for your car just so you can get to that gym.
But for Carolina Panthers’ defensive end Rakim Cox, the chance to chase NFL dreams has been priceless.
After he went undrafted out of Villanova in 2014, Cox was picked up by the Vikings, who released him in training camp. Two weeks later, he landed in Miami only to be cut again after eight days.
The 24 year old then watched others live out his dream last season until he got another look in March at the veterans combine in Phoenix. His agent paid for his flight, but he had to front $580 for the application fee and physicals. With no money coming in, it wasn’t easy to find money to take out.
“The kind of training I was doing, you couldn’t do that with a job. I was waking up early and working out in the morning, afternoon and at night,” Cox said Monday.
“I had money saved from school a little bit, and I took out a loan, had a credit card and was using that to budget wisely. Food was probably the biggest expense, seeing that I’m a big defensive end. I was just trying to budget the best that I can with some help from family and friends.”
Listed at 6-foot-4, 260, Cox would ideally like to play at 270. That’s a lot of food. Friday night, he ate late in the preseason opener.
With the Panthers clinging to a late lead in Buffalo, Cox dominated the final drive.
“He’s shown a real good edge rush ability,” coach Ron Rivera said. “He affected four of the five plays. He had two sacks, forced a scramble and knocked a ball down.”
With Charles Johnson still nursing a sore calf and because the defensive ends in front of him were ineffective in Buffalo, Cox shared first-team snaps Monday with undrafted free agent Arthur Miley. So while his big moments came in a preseason game against third-team linemen and a fourth-string quarterback, it appears Cox has earned a longer look.
“I can’t control where they put me at or where I’m going to get in and who it’s going to be against,” he said. “All I can control is how I play, so whoever is across from me, I’m going to do what I have to do to get to the quarterback.”
And if he can do that throughout the preseason, that loan he took out will have been more than worth it.
“Whatever comes, I’m grateful. I pray every day, and I’m thankful for all the opportunities and everything that comes to me, and whatever I can’t control, I don’t worry about it,” Cox said. “I’m in a position where I can control what I do right now so if I can execute and do what I need to do then I’ll be here long term.”[line][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]