Fletcher Cox: Already great, still humble

Chuck Bednarik stood over Frank Gifford, Reggie White wore a halo around his head, Jeremiah Trotter swung an ax, Brian Dawkins flexed his biceps - and then there was Fletcher Cox. The Eagles created a mural for a video the team released last week, showing it in the final cutaway during the closing credits.

The mural featured the great defenders in franchise history, names that have become synonymous with defense in Philadelphia. And Cox, who is only 25 years old and in his fifth NFL season, was included in the group.

"I'm probably far from them," Cox said. "But it is an honor, though, for the Eagles to even have me in that conversation. But I've still got a lot of work to do to even get to where those guys are. They are the greats to be a part of this organization."

Carson Wentz is becoming the franchise quarterback, Malcolm Jenkins and Jordan Matthews are de facto team spokesmen, and established veterans such as Jason Peters, Connor Barwin, and Jason Kelce have earned Pro Bowl bids. But it's difficult to argue about who the best player on the Eagles is.

Cox made his first Pro Bowl last season and was second-team all-pro for the second consecutive year. The Eagles gave him a six-year, $103 million contract during the offseason. So the question becomes: What's next for Cox?

"To be a Hall of Famer," defensive end Brandon Graham said. "And win a championship, so we can be known forever in Philly."

Cox is already known forever in a town much smaller than Philadelphia. He was the grand marshal of the July 4 parade in his hometown of Yazoo City, Miss., a dot on the Mississippi Delta with a population of 11,245. And if they don't all know Cox, they might try to whenever he returns home to eat crawfish at P-Reaux Cajun Mudbags and Shrimp on Water Street.

"He can't come back here without someone wanting a loan or someone asking to start a business or asking for things," said Christy Cader, the guidance counselor at Yazoo City High School and one of the people Cox has credited for his success. "But the people who really care about him, the people that are really invested in his life, I do believe aren't like that."

That's a quality that matters to Cox. He knows those who have helped without expecting anything in return. When you're used as the example of the person who made it out of your hometown and a nine-figure contract is announced on national television, it's even more important.

Cox missed practice this summer to return to Mississippi for the funeral of Kyle Wallace, one of his assistant coaches in high school. Wallace used to drive Cox to football camps and would stay to drive him home. Cox wanted Wallace's family to see him at the funeral, to know that Wallace meant enough to Cox to fly home during football season on a moment's notice.

"He never went around and bragged about what he did for me when I was a kid," Cox said. "He was just happy that he can do something for somebody, and it was special to him."

Wallace's death came 20 months after Cox lost his brother, Shaddrick, who had been the biggest influence in his life. Shaddrick, an auto mechanic who died of a heart attack, wanted his brother to experience life outside Yazoo City. He told Cox to find a career, not a job. He saw Cox earn a scholarship to Mississippi State and become a first-round pick, but didn't see him take their mother to Hawaii for Cox's first Pro Bowl or sign a contract to become one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.

During a quiet moment after signing his contract, Cox pointed to an empty spot next to him at the team facility. He said his brother would sit right next to him and tell him to stay humble, and don't forget where you came from. That's why Cader wanted it known how much Cox is doing to support his family back home. And with Cox beginning the next stage of his career, those who care about him back home expect nothing more.

"The people who were there from the beginning just want to see him succeed," Cader said. "Just seeing him play every Sunday, just seeing his success, seeing his new contract, and still see him being the upstanding gentleman he is, is all we ever need. It's all Kyle ever needed. And that's enough for us."

Cox and Vinny Curry were in disbelief during a recent conversation: Has it really been five years?

"Time flies by, man," Cox said. "But I'm still young, by the way. I'm only 25."

Cox arrived in Philadelphia in 2012, unfamiliar with the city and uninterested in the attention directed toward a first-round pick both in the locker room and in his new hometown. His performance required him to get used to it.

"They expect me to be one of the guys, if not 'the guy,' " Cox said.

Cox does not want to avoid this responsibility. He said he's helping with younger players and stressed that how he is as a teammate must be part of his objectives. He will never become the loudest person in the locker room, but he can no longer hide in the background.

"At first, Fletch just wanted to lead by example and wanted everyone to kind of follow him," Graham said. "But you've got to talk now. I don't think it's hard for him. You've just go to trust that people look up to you and respect what you say, and be confident with what message you're trying to send across."

The message is spreading around the league, too. By the end of Cox's rookie year, he was a starter. By the end of his second year, he had become one of the keys to the defense. By the end of his third year, he emerged as the best player on the team. And after leading the Eagles in sacks, tackles for losses, quarterback hurries, and forced fumbles last season as a defensive end in a 3-4 defense, Cox gained a reputation as one of the NFL's best defensive linemen.

"You know, there's a reason we gave him all that money," new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. "And it's not because he fits a certain scheme or anything else. He's just a really good player."

During Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller's contract negotiations, he reportedly stewed at the details of Cox's deal. Cox, after all, has been to only one Pro Bowl. And last season was the first time his name entered the discussion as one of the NFL's elite players - but not yet with the profile of all-pros such as Miller, J.J. Watt, Luke Kuechly, or Richard Sherman until the contract put him in that category.

"I think I am one of the top defensive players in the league," Cox said. "But it's not for you to talk about it. You still have to perform. I think that's what's keeping me humble. I'm looking at it as: This team didn't pay me for what I did. They're paying me for what I'm about to do."

And what he's about to do is what most excites the Eagles. Cox recorded one sack, two hurries, and four tackles Sunday in the season opener. He's in the prime of his career, in a defense that can showcase his talent, and under contract through 2022. The Eagles put him on a promotional picture next to the best defensive players in franchise history.

So what, exactly, is next for Cox?

"Just be known as one of the faces of the organization," he said.

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm