For Jamael Cox, this is a moment that may never have happened.
On December 21, Cox, a 27-year-old winger, had reason to celebrate as he became the first new signing to join the ranks of Forward Madison’s 2020 roster. After going from phenom to free agent, Cox relied on his patience and persistence to get a second lease on his soccer life. And this time, he’s ready to take full advantage.
This is the story of how Jamael Cox went from Wilderness to Wisconsin.
The Next Big Thing
Growing up in Tacoma, Wash., soccer wasn’t always the predominant sport, but Jamael Cox knew from the start that it was the one for him.
“I tried basketball, but my height didn’t really favor [me],” Cox said. “I also tried baseball, but I was too scared to get in the batter’s box.”
Cox’s older brother, Raphael, also played soccer, so Jamael naturally followed in his footsteps.
As it turned out, both siblings were very good at it. Raphael turned pro while Jamael was still in high school, winning MLS Cup with Real Salt Lake in 2009. The next year, Jamael got his hands on a trophy of his own, capturing the Washington high school state championship.
As Cox continued to develop, his career continued to grow. He redshirted during his freshman year at Highline College to play for the Seattle Sounders’ academy team, and the next year left the country to go on trial with 1. FC Nürnberg in Germany and Rangers FC in Scotland.
After returning home, Cox decided he needed to take the next step. Raphael, who was by that time playing with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the North American Soccer League, gave Jamael’s tape to his coaches. They liked what they saw, so in 2013, the 20-year-old Cox made the decision to leave Highline and start his professional career.
Reflecting on it now, Cox admits he was stepping into the unknown.
“I think it was a risk for sure,” Cox said. “It was very hard. I talked with my parents, I talked with my brother, and they said whatever makes you feel more comfortable, whatever you feel in your gut, you should do.”
For Jamael Cox, this is a moment that may never have happened.
On December 21, Cox, a 27-year-old winger, had reason to celebrate as he became the first new signing to join the ranks of Forward Madison’s 2020 roster. After going from phenom to free agent, Cox relied on his patience and persistence to get a second lease on his soccer life. And this time, he’s ready to take full advantage.
This is the story of how Jamael Cox went from Wilderness to Wisconsin.
The Next Big Thing
Growing up in Tacoma, Wash., soccer wasn’t always the predominant sport, but Jamael Cox knew from the start that it was the one for him.
“I tried basketball, but my height didn’t really favor [me],” Cox said. “I also tried baseball, but I was too scared to get in the batter’s box.”
Cox’s older brother, Raphael, also played soccer, so Jamael naturally followed in his footsteps.
As it turned out, both siblings were very good at it. Raphael turned pro while Jamael was still in high school, winning MLS Cup with Real Salt Lake in 2009. The next year, Jamael got his hands on a trophy of his own, capturing the Washington high school state championship.
As Cox continued to develop, his career continued to grow. He redshirted during his freshman year at Highline College to play for the Seattle Sounders’ academy team, and the next year left the country to go on trial with 1. FC Nürnberg in Germany and Rangers FC in Scotland.
After returning home, Cox decided he needed to take the next step. Raphael, who was by that time playing with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the North American Soccer League, gave Jamael’s tape to his coaches. They liked what they saw, so in 2013, the 20-year-old Cox made the decision to leave Highline and start his professional career.
Reflecting on it now, Cox admits he was stepping into the unknown.
“I think it was a risk for sure,” Cox said. “It was very hard. I talked with my parents, I talked with my brother, and they said whatever makes you feel more comfortable, whatever you feel in your gut, you should do.”
The Wilderness
Upon his arrival in Tampa Bay, Cox stepped into a locker room with some of the most established names in lower-league soccer: Georgi Hristov, signed from Bulgaria, would win the league MVP award; Carl Cort had over two decades of experience in English soccer; Luke Mulholland has gone on to build a career with Real Salt Lake.
“There was so much information coming in and I took all of it in,” Cox said. “All I could do was just watch, learn for when my time came.”
In the end, though, Cox’s time didn’t really come in Tampa Bay. He played in just one game in 2013, coming off the bench for the final minutes of a late-season loss to Fort Lauderdale.
Although Cox hadn’t really expected to play much in a squad full of veterans, he’d been hoping the club would keep faith in him and renew his contract. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. With his options limited, Cox became a man without a team.
“I went into a lot of preseasons, those didn’t work,” Cox said. “There were a lot of rough times, just thinking that I wasn’t really good enough or no one wanted me, [that] no one liked my style of play. It’s very difficult when you’re team-less for a certain amount of years in outdoor when that’s your number one passion.”
In 2014, Cox’s career stalled. Without a professional contract, he returned home to the Seattle Sounders U-23s and started to consider whether he wanted to keep going. His family, though, and in particular Raphael, encouraged Cox to follow his dreams.
“My brother helped me a lot,” Cox said. “He kept on saying, ‘Don’t worry about it, you’ll fit in where you’re going to fit in.’”
Ultimately, Raphael’s advice and Jamael’s persistence was enough to keep him going.
“I was just waiting for my next opportunity,” he said.
The Wilderness
Upon his arrival in Tampa Bay, Cox stepped into a locker room with some of the most established names in lower-league soccer: Georgi Hristov, signed from Bulgaria, would win the league MVP award; Carl Cort had over two decades of experience in English soccer; Luke Mulholland has gone on to build a career with Real Salt Lake.
“There was so much information coming in and I took all of it in,” Cox said. “All I could do was just watch, learn for when my time came.”
In the end, though, Cox’s time didn’t really come in Tampa Bay. He played in just one game in 2013, coming off the bench for the final minutes of a late-season loss to Fort Lauderdale.
Although Cox hadn’t really expected to play much in a squad full of veterans, he’d been hoping the club would keep faith in him and renew his contract. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. With his options limited, Cox became a man without a team.
“I went into a lot of preseasons, those didn’t work,” Cox said. “There were a lot of rough times, just thinking that I wasn’t really good enough or no one wanted me, [that] no one liked my style of play. It’s very difficult when you’re team-less for a certain amount of years in outdoor when that’s your number one passion.”
In 2014, Cox’s career stalled. Without a professional contract, he returned home to the Seattle Sounders U-23s and started to consider whether he wanted to keep going. His family, though, and in particular Raphael, encouraged Cox to follow his dreams.
“My brother helped me a lot,” Cox said. “He kept on saying, ‘Don’t worry about it, you’ll fit in where you’re going to fit in.’”
Ultimately, Raphael’s advice and Jamael’s persistence was enough to keep him going.
“I was just waiting for my next opportunity,” he said.
The Stars Align
After playing the waiting game, Cox’s hoped-for opportunity did materialize, if in perhaps an unexpected way.
In 2015, Darren Sawatzky, Cox’s coach with the Sounders U-23s, accepted a job with the Tacoma Stars, a professional indoor team. Although Cox had only played outdoor before, the Stars were based in his hometown, and Sawatzky saw potential in his former player.
The Stars had aligned.
Back in Tacoma, Cox finally found regular playing time, and success soon followed. Cox scored goal after goal, becoming a key contributor to the team. When the season ended, he signed back on for the following year, and has continued playing with the Stars ever since. As of 2019, he has 39 goals in 57 matches.
Even with things going in the right direction, though, Cox retained his dream of returning to the outdoor game. During Stars offseasons, he played for the Burlingame Dragons in what is now USL League Two. He continued to impress when it counted, scoring in both the 2016 and 2017 U.S. Open Cup tournaments for Burlingame.
In 2019, his patience finally paid off.
Sawatzky, who had moved on to become FC Tucson’s manager in the newly-formed USL League One, signed Cox to his team. After six long years of waiting, Cox was back where he belonged.
“It was a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders,” Cox said. “Playing is just what I love to do.”
The Stars Align
After playing the waiting game, Cox’s hoped-for opportunity did materialize, if in perhaps an unexpected way.
In 2015, Darren Sawatzky, Cox’s coach with the Sounders U-23s, accepted a job with the Tacoma Stars, a professional indoor team. Although Cox had only played outdoor before, the Stars were based in his hometown, and Sawatzky saw potential in his former player.
The Stars had aligned.
Back in Tacoma, Cox finally found regular playing time, and success soon followed. Cox scored goal after goal, becoming a key contributor to the team. When the season ended, he signed back on for the following year, and has continued playing with the Stars ever since. As of 2019, he has 39 goals in 57 matches.
Even with things going in the right direction, though, Cox retained his dream of returning to the outdoor game. During Stars offseasons, he played for the Burlingame Dragons in what is now USL League Two. He continued to impress when it counted, scoring in both the 2016 and 2017 U.S. Open Cup tournaments for Burlingame.
In 2019, his patience finally paid off.
Sawatzky, who had moved on to become FC Tucson’s manager in the newly-formed USL League One, signed Cox to his team. After six long years of waiting, Cox was back where he belonged.
“It was a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders,” Cox said. “Playing is just what I love to do.”
Taking Flight
At 26 years old, Cox was a more mature player than the young hotshot who had left college to go pro early. With FC Tucson, he became one of the integral members of the squad, appearing in 23 games and providing three goals and three assists.
Although he had often played out wide, Sawatzky often asked Cox to tuck in as an attacking midfielder. Even out of his natural position, Cox performed well, taking his instructions in stride without complaint.
“Whatever you need me to do, I’m going to do,” Cox said. “I’m going to give it my all and I’m going to try to help the team win every single game.”
One moment that stood out to Cox during his season in the desert, though, came far away from Arizona. When FC Tucson visited Breese Stevens Field on June 15, Cox caught a glimpse of what his future could hold.
“The first time we came to Madison, it was an experience I won’t ever forget,” Cox said. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is what it’s all about.’ The fans were engaged in the game the whole time, they had amazing support, and it was just a great setup, I was like, I want to be here.”
Fast-forward to the end of the season and Cox would get his chance to make the move. Raphael helped get him Head Coach Daryl Shore’s number, and the two started negotiating a deal.
For Shore, adding Cox was a way to bring in another winger, adding speed and awareness as a way to complement the abilities of FMFC’s current wide men, including 2019 headliners Don Smart and Paulo Júnior. For Cox, it’s another step forward in his career – and another reminder that his persistence in the face of adversity was worth the struggle.
“I’m not going to ever take it for granted again, because I know what people can go through without having a team for that long, Cox said. “It’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait for every single game.”
Taking Flight
At 26 years old, Cox was a more mature player than the young hotshot who had left college to go pro early. With FC Tucson, he became one of the integral members of the squad, appearing in 23 games and providing three goals and three assists.
Although he had often played out wide, Sawatzky often asked Cox to tuck in as an attacking midfielder. Even out of his natural position, Cox performed well, taking his instructions in stride without complaint.
“Whatever you need me to do, I’m going to do,” Cox said. “I’m going to give it my all and I’m going to try to help the team win every single game.”
One moment that stood out to Cox during his season in the desert, though, came far away from Arizona. When FC Tucson visited Breese Stevens Field on June 15, Cox caught a glimpse of what his future could hold.
“The first time we came to Madison, it was an experience I won’t ever forget,” Cox said. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is what it’s all about.’ The fans were engaged in the game the whole time, they had amazing support, and it was just a great setup, I was like, I want to be here.”
Fast-forward to the end of the season and Cox would get his chance to make the move. Raphael helped get him Head Coach Daryl Shore’s number, and the two started negotiating a deal.
For Shore, adding Cox was a way to bring in another winger, adding speed and awareness as a way to complement the abilities of FMFC’s current wide men, including 2019 headliners Don Smart and Paulo Júnior. For Cox, it’s another step forward in his career – and another reminder that his persistence in the face of adversity was worth the struggle.
“I’m not going to ever take it for granted again, because I know what people can go through without having a team for that long, Cox said. “It’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait for every single game.”
Season tickets for Forward Madison FC’s 2020 season are now available! Get yours by calling 608-204-0855 or visit https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/forwardmadisonfc/season-tickets.
Season tickets for Forward Madison FC’s 2020 season are now available! Get yours by calling 608-204-0855 or visit https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/forwardmadisonfc/season-tickets.
