FEATURE: Family, friends provide inspiration for wrestling Hall of Fame inductee

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 11, 2017 11:14 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

BUIES CREEK -- Relaxed and ready to usher into the New Year, Anthony Cox received a call he didn't expect.

Bob Roller, athletics director at Campbell University, was on the other end. He informed Cox that he was getting inducted into the school's Sports Hall of Fame.

"I was in such a shock, it made me cry," Cox said.

"Happy New Year," Roller said.

*

A farmboy who desired to play football, Cox never stepped onto the gridiron. A rule put in place said that if an athlete didn't attend summer workouts, they couldn't try out for the team.

Cox spent his days toiling in the tobacco field under an unforgiving and blazing hot sun. He just couldn't imagine not getting to put on the pads and experience the Friday night lights atmosphere.

He was devastated.

Until good friend Mike Mazzone suggested that he try out for wrestling.

"Forget football. We're going out for the wrestling team," Mazzone said.

The idea jolted Cox.

"Mike I don't know anything about wrestling," Cox said.

Mazzone retorted his friend's hesitation.

"Yeah, we're going to go out for the wrestling team. Come on," he said.

Mazzone immediately earned a starting spot.

Cox, on the other hand, struggled to get used to a sport that eventually became his calling card and took him on an unexpected path that defined his character as a student-athlete, parent, businessman and friend.

The turnaround occurred against John Breeding.

He defeated the seasoned veteran and drew praise from then-head coach Emmitt Hamilton -- who just a decade earlier had won back-to-back state championships when it was "open division" competition.

"If you believe enough in your own heart and believe in yourself, it's great that I believe in you but because I believe in you, you don't win matches," Hamilton said. "You have to start believing in yourself. And once you start believing in yourself, you will see yourself separate yourself from everybody else."

Cox's career blossomed. He finished as regional runner-up and took third in the state championships during his junior season.

*

Another phone call.

This message felt worse than getting pinned by an opponent on the wrestling mat. Cox's great-grandmother -- his heart, soul and spirit -- passed away.

And it happened on the same day that Cox -- now a senior -- faced the biggest match of his prep career which would determine his postseason fate.

"Didn't want to wrestle...felt like quitting," Cox said.

A good friend wouldn't tolerate such mindless prattle from one of the best GHS athletes ever to grace a wrestling singlet.

It was the school's custodians -- Mr. and Mrs. Lewis.

"Mr. Lewis came up to me and said, 'you are going to wrestle in this tournament. You are not going to quit. You know your great-grandmother (Annie) would want to see you go ahead and wrestle," Cox said.

Cox still refused.

"He said, 'you're going to wrestle if I have to take my belt off and beat you all the way to mat," laughed Cox. "He walked me to the mat with my earlobe twisted in his hand. I lost that match, but I got the wild card and went on to states."

Little did Cox know that Campbell University head coach Jerry Hartman viewed the match. Cox returned to states as the No. 3 seed from the east and took third for the second straight year.

He filed a 107-10 worksheet during his prep career.

*

N.C. State wanted Cox.

So did Pembroke State.

He visited both schools, talked with the coaches and realized he'd serve as an "understudy" to returning starters in his weight class. Ironically, he'd go on to beat both of them while wearing a Campbell uniform.

Under the watchful eye and discipline installed by Hartman, Cox constantly improved from one year to the next.

The muscular 167-pounder emerged as the east regional runner-up and headed to the University of Maryland for the NCAA championships. He lost to Bucknell's Mike Bomberger in the opening round.

One year later, Cox qualified again.

His teammates set up a staggered schedule of workouts to help prepare him for a trip to Iowa City, Iowa -- one of the nation's meccas for collegiate wrestling. Even Hartman joined in the workout sessions.

Once he stepped onto the mat in Carver Hawkeye Arena, Cox felt more at ease. He slipped past Indiana's Chuck Poulson in the first round. In the second round, he faced sixth-seeded Mike Farrell of Oklahoma State. Cox put Farrell in a standing cradle, but the referee never awarded him the back points.

Cox lost 2-1.

Undeterred, Cox answered with consecutive "knockout" triumphs over Bob Bell of Illinois State and Northern Iowa's Keith Massey. His second trip to nationals ended with a 4-2 loss to No. 12 seed Joe Decamilus of Wyoming.

The defeat left Cox (40-4 overall) one spot shy of earning All-American status.

"Here I was, a small little kid from Campbell," said Cox, who holds the school's record for career wins (120).

"No one has ever heard of this university."

*

Hall of Fame night.

Dressed sharply in a dark jacket, a crisply-ironed button-down dress shirt and a multi-colored tie, Cox joined two Campbell luminaries and fellow inductees -- Wanda Watkins and Bob Burke -- for the celebration.

Cox turned to Watson.

"I said, 'Coach Watkins, I'm so proud and honored. It's a privilege to be inducted at the same time as you. It just feels really good," Cox said.

Watkins replied.

"I'm just honored and privileged to have seen you come to Campbell and I've watched you grow from this mediocre guy to an extraordinary wrestler," she said. "I feel honored and privileged to have been part of that and watch it all unfold."

Cox is the lone two-time NCAA qualifier in program history. He shares the single-season record for wins (40) with John Dattalo, was twice named the team's MVP and selected as Campbell University's Outstanding Male Athlete for 1987-88.

*

It was a great ride.

Cox remains good friends with his former teammates and Coach Hartman to this day. They share similar jobs and call each other for either advice or assistance regarding their respective businesses.

And not surprisingly, Cox remains deeply rooted in Campbell.

His oldest daughter, Lazandra, graduated and lives in Greenville, S.C. Brianna, his "baby girl," is a second-semester sophomore and pre-med student.

Cox recalls a discussion with Hamilton.

And old-school guy, he taught the future collegiate star to wrestle aggressively and with respect.

Hartman, meanwhile, convinced Cox he could move the Earth by himself. The secret was to learn from a loss and increase the intensity the next time he stepped onto the mat.

That advice carried over into Cox's life.

"Those good morals. Those good teachings. God has blessed me," Cox said. "I've really done well for myself. Because he blessed me, you're always supposed to share that blessing with other people. I place it in God's hands and I follow His lead.

"None of this would have been possible without our Lord and Savior. That's a fact."

And somewhere great-grandmother Annie is smiling.