Ron Cox heading to Fresno State football's Ring of Honor

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- One of the greatest defensive players in Fresno State history is heading to the Ring of Honor.

Ron Cox will be the 10th former player to join the exclusive club that includes #4 Derek Carr, #8 David Carr, #9 Kevin Sweeney, #12 Trent Dilfer, #14 Vince Petrucci, #15 Davante Adams, #21 Dale Messer, #22 Lorenzo Neal and #83 Henry Ellard. Former head coaches Pat Hill and Jim Sweeney were inaugural inductees last season to the changed format that used to retire jerseys.

Cox, a graduate of Washington Union in 1986, played just three seasons at FS but is the Bulldogs all-time sacks leader with 50 total sacks. His set the single season record with 28 sacks during the 1989 season, the same year he was named Big West Defensive Player of the Year.

"I was born and raised in Fresno, on Walnut Avenue," Cox told Action News. "Ickey woods lived right down the street. Henry Ellard went to school with my sister so to be able to be homegrown...drink from the same waterhole everybody else did, it's amazing that every young man can have a dream that they can do this."

Drafted 33rd overall by the Chicago Bears in the 1990 NFL Draft, he'd go on to play 7 years in the NFL winning Super Bowl XXXI with the Green Bay Packers.

"Like Pat Hill always said it's never about you it's always about your teammates," Cox said. "That's something that this award/opportunity to have my name up in the stadium is. For all my teammates. All the guys I played with singing 'Bulldog born, Bulldog bred, going to be a Bulldog until the day we're dead' many days together. To me that's everything."

His induction will take place on October 26th at halftime against San Jose State. Kickoff from Valley Children's Stadium is set for 5:00 PM.

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