Eli Cox to Represent Kentucky at SEC Football Leadership Council This Weekend
The Southeastern Conference Football Leadership Council, which consists of one football student-athlete from each of the SEC’s 14 universities, will convene for its annual meeting at the SEC offices in Birmingham Friday and Saturday. Senior center Eli Cox will represent the Wildcats and will serve as the chair of the Leadership Council for the second straight year.
Agenda items for the group this weekend include a meeting with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, a review of NCAA and SEC legislative items, a conversation with SEC Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Katie O’Neal, and engagement with football officials on rules of the game, student-athlete/referee interaction and careers in officiating. The group will also review SEC student-athlete engagement opportunities.
The Football Leadership Council is one of three components of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council. The other two components are the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Leadership Councils. Student-Athlete Leadership Councils for the sports of football and men’s and women’s basketball, along with the conference’s longstanding Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), provide student-athletes with additional opportunities to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff. The councils serve as a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience, student-athlete wellness and playing rules.
Cox, a 6-foot-4, 311-pound native of Nicholasville, Kentucky, recently announced he will return in 2024 for his sixth and final season. He’s been a key cog on the Big Blue Wall, playing in 45 career games with 35 straight starting assignments. In 2023, he was voted one of the seven team permanent captains and was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the league coaches after starting at center in all 13 games. He was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week after the EKU game, playing every offensive snap and grading out at 86 percent. Along with his work on the SEC Football Leadership Council, he also has represented UK Football on the school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for four straight seasons (2021-24). Cox graduated in May of 2022 with a degree in integrated strategic communications with a business minor and is current working on a graduate certificate in sport, fitness and recreation management. Fun fact – Cox got married in January of 2024 to long-time girlfriend, Lauryn Willis.
The student-athletes who comprise the SEC Football Leadership Council are: DeVonta Smith (Alabama), Cameron Ball (Arkansas), Eugene Asante (Auburn), Derek Wingo (Florida), Jalon Walker (Georgia), Eli Cox (Kentucky), Josh Williams (LSU), JJ Pegues (Ole Miss), Hayes Hammond (Mississippi State), Kristian Williams (Missouri), Kai Kroeger (South Carolina), Omari Thomas (Tennessee), Taurean York (Texas A&M) and Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt).
