Germany’s Marburg Mercenaries sign Appalachian State RB Marcus Cox

The Marburg Mercenaries of the German Football League have signed Appalachian State Mountaineers running back Marcus Cox for the 2021 season.

Cox had originally been signed to play in the 2020 season but due to the pandemic, the GFL season was canceled.

The 5’10”, 205 pound, 26 year old from Dacula, Georgia spent four years (2013-2016) playing for Appalachian State (NCAA Div. I, FBS) and remains the school career rushing leader with 5,103 yards and 52 touchdowns. He also caught 91 passes for 1,101 yards and another nine touchdowns. He was the ninth person in FBS history to rush for 1,000 plus yards for four straight seasons and his 6,119 yards from scrimmage is good for 11th place on the NCAA All-Time rushing yards list.

The Appalachian State program has gained a reputation for producing talented football players and nine former Mountaineers are currently (as of December 29, 2020) active in the NFL: Kendall Lamm and Colby Gossett (Cleveland Browns), Daniel Kilgore (Kansas City Chiefs), Josh Thomas (Buffalo Bills), Darrynton Evans (Tennessee Titans), Akeem Davis-Gaither, (Cincinnati Bengals), Sam Martin (Denver Broncos), Doug Middelton (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Tae Hayes (Minnesota Vikings).

Football definitely runs in the Cox family. Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Willi McGinest who played for the New England Patriots (1994-2005) and Cleveland Browns (2006-2008) is his cousin.

Michael Dalkowski, General Manager of the Mercenaries is happy that he was able to sign Cox for 2021:

“We all regret that we couldn’t play in 2020. We are all the more pleased that we will see Marcus play for Marburg and in the GFL this season. He will delight the fans with his incredible running ability and has what it takes to become a crowd favorite. His highlights video is recommended as a little foretaste. It’s just fun to watch.”

After his college career, Cox worked as a running back coach at Cherokee Bluff High School and also worked with his mother to support people with disabilities. In general, Cox likes to help other people develop and make the most of their opportunities. Cox  has definitely formed a good connection with Mercenaries head coach Joe Tricario and offensive coordinator Micah Brown:

“I had numerous offers from Europe including other GFL teams. But Coach Brown’s offensive concept immediately convinced me and I am very happy to be able to do my part. In any case, I want to get into the playoffs with Marburg, then anything is possible in 2021. “

Check out Marcus Cox senior season highlights