By Collin Mickle
Staff Writer

It would be hard to blame Brandon Cox for feeling disrespected.
After all, Cox knows what some observers are saying about him as his senior season begins. The doubters, encouraged by an injury-marred 2006 season, have dismissed him as a non-star.
In August, the Davey O’Brien Foundation, which presents the Davey O’Brien Award to the nation’s top quarterbacks, released a preseason “watch list” of what it deemed to be the top candidates.
Cox’s name was nowhere to be found, though the quarterbacks for Rice, Ball State, Louisiana-Monroe and Central Michigan each made the list. So did SMU sophomore Justin Willis, who went 6-6 as a starter last year.
Cox didn’t merit a mention, despite being a three-year starter on a top-20 team. Critics are turned off by his so-so 2006 statistics: He threw for 2,198 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 games, though he led AU to an 11-2 record. But Cox isn’t bothered by what incensed Auburn fans see as the O’Brien Foundation’s snub.
“(Awards) are based off of what happened last year, and statistically I really didn’t have that great a year,” Cox said. “Those guys did. … It was just a tough year for me. Hopefully, I can have a better year this year.”
Of course, Cox’s statistics look better when you consider he played almost the entire season on one leg.
He sprained his left knee and left ankle after a big hit against LSU in Auburn’s third game of the season. He didn’t miss a snap with the injury, but it destroyed his mobility and hampered him throughout the season. 
A burst bursa sac in his knee — suffered against Ole Miss — further slowed him down.
Unable to plant his foot or move away from trouble, Cox struggled to throw the ball with authority. His injuries forced coordinator Al Borges to call more runs — Cox estimated AU ran 70 percent of the time in some games — making the Tigers more predictable.
“Just running the offense was difficult because I wasn’t able to use my lower body,” Cox said. “That really hurt us offensively. … I don’t want to go through that again.”
In spring practice, Cox reminded observers of what he could do when he was healthy.
Playing against Auburn’s first-team defense — the unit that drew rave reviews all preseason — Cox was dominant. Teammates and coaches gushed about his confidence, his accuracy and his leadership.
And it’s not just on the field.
Cox is a leader off the field as well. The always-mature quarterback will turn 24 this October. He graduated this spring with a degree in business administration.
And he knows his history. 
Auburn’s last three senior quarterbacks who were returning full-time starters — Jason Campbell (2004), Ben Leard (2000) and Dameyune Craig (1997) — all took the Tigers to the Southeastern Conference Championship Game.
Campbell won an SEC title and keyed a 13-0 season. Leard helped lead AU to a 9-4 record; Craig went 10-3.
Cox is poised to become the next Tigers quarterback to close his career with a bang. Heading into his third year in coordinator Al Borges’ system, Cox has high expectations.
“Me, personally, I’m more comfortable,” he said. “Being my senior year, there’s a little more pressure on me personally to go out there and have a good season and compete for a championship. But, I’m definitely more comfortable, more relaxed.”
And that’s why Cox isn’t bothered by preseason doubts. If he has the kind of senior season he knows he’s capable of — the kind of season he expects to have — he knows the people doubting him now will be cheering him in November.
“That’s what we play the games for, to go out and prove people wrong,” Cox said during spring practice. “You’re always going to have people doubting you. Even when we were 13-0, people were doubting us. You can’t please everybody.
“That’s what makes it fun, going out there and proving people wrong.”
One throw at a time.

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