Bryan Cox was the defensive line coach for the Atlanta Falcons from 2014 through their 2017 Super Bowl appearance. The former defensive star was one of the breakout favorites during Atlanta's 2014 appearance on HBO's Hard Knocks. His no-nonsense style and approach have endeared him to fans all over the NFL.

Since breaking into coaching in 2006, Cox has made it a mission to teach his defensive charges some of the skills and techniques that made him a three-time All-Pro in the NFL. However, making that transition from star player to teacher was different.

“For me, my main thing has always been about imparting what I've been taught onto the younger guys,” Cox said. “Some of the guys I've been able to work with, you know guys like [Pro Football Hall of Famer] Joe Greene, they taught me about the mental aspect of the game. I just try to pass things like that onto guys I work with.”

Even before Cox finished playing, he knew he eventually wanted to coach. Finding the ability to transfer his knowledge to other players would be the first hurdle he would have to overcome.

“For me, it's still a big adjustment going from player to coach,” he said. “As a player, I could get guys to do stuff. I could say, 'Hey, we're gonna go do things this way. We're gonna go do things that way.' As a coach you can't go and show them, you have to basically talk them through it.”

While it was difficult, Cox relished the challenge. In five stops throughout the league in his professional coaching tenure, Cox has passed on the lessons that made him one of the game's best pass rushers and defenders to countless players. Though he can no longer walk that particular walk, he has seen enough to definitely be able to talk the talk.

“I can explain what I used to be able to do, but I think guys still need to be able to do what you're saying,” he said. “My job is to make sure they're in the right position, using the right technique, to do it themselves for a few times so they get that experience. Once they execute the assignment correctly, it's easier.”