Torrie Cox injured after being hit by Aqib Talib's helmet

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Torrie Cox received a facial laceration when he was inadvertently struck by a helmet swung by teammate Aqib Talib during a voluntary offseason workout Wednesday.

Talib, the Buccaneers' first-round pick in 2008, was intending to hit offensive tackle Donald Penn. Talib and Penn began arguing during a team drill.

"Everything is fine,'' Penn said. "Brothers fight all the time. It happens.''

Cox was treated by the team medical staff. Penn indicated that the injuries were "minor.''

"It wasn't really a fight,'' Penn said. "It was a verbal fight. I don't want it to be a bigger deal than it is. This stuff happens all the time, but you don't hear about it in the media.''

Talib has had issues controlling his temper since being drafted by the Bucs last season. At an NFL rookie symposium, he fought with rookie running back Cory Boyd.

-- RICK STROUD and STEPHEN F. HOLDER, Times Staff Writers

Comments

[John]

swinging the helmet witht the intent to hit somebody, sounds like assault to me.

[Rube]

Day by day this team becomes more and more of a mess.

[Havok904]

It's no big deal, but the "Bed Wetters" are gonna start whining about how bad the team is and how the team should have kept John Lynch...Jeez

[Dspkable]

LOL good one Havok904, Yeah the rest of you doom-sayers aren't really into football are you? You just missed your daily dose of Jerry Springer or something huh?

[jimmy]

Havok904 called em BED WETTERS ahhahahahahahahhahaha that so describes some of these so-called fans

[BucFandango]

Coach Raheem wanted violence and he got it. fights don't just happen for no reason. Penn outweighs Talib by like, 700 lbs, so something fishy is going on. Zone Blocking is very hard on defenders and Talib may have taken exception. Who Knows? At least no one was hurt, at least of significance. School of hard knocks. Chalk it up as a lesson, and Coach needs to quit listeneing to Rap music and get a handle on his players.

[Rube]

I'm not a "true fan" because players like Talib can't keep his temper and I voice an opinion on it. It was a stupid and immature decision to swing your helmet like that. Do you see problems like this with the Colts, Patriots or Steelers? Uh no. I don't want to cheer on a bunch of thugs. I want good players that play hard like Brooks, or Ruud and yeah Lynch. Where has the class gone since Dungy left? You guys who ignore the obvious and chalk it up as no big deal, need to get a reality check. This isn't how good teams build a foundation for a winning season, by fighting each other. Before you call me a bed wetter, check your own sheets. Because you're the one carrying the load.

[TriplePlay]

as Mr.Penn professionally put "this stuff happens all the time". I like it. You need somebody that has the juice to keep the defense hot.

Talib will only get better each year.

[Paul]

Maybe it is time to get this guy under control if this a continuing problem.

He may swing his helmet at the wrong guy and the Bucs may loose him for a while.

[Vince]

This last paragraph is why people hate journalists:

Talib has had issues controlling his temper since being drafted by the Bucs last season. At an NFL rookie symposium, he fought with rookie running back Cory Boyd.

Every past incident become a character flaw. What if the fight you reference was started by Boyd? What are the other "issues?" (plural). For the rest of Talib's career he will be branded as a hot head because journalist always finsih stories with this kind of "I told you so" crap. Good job guys.

[DR]

But it's a fact Vince and that's what they're giving us, facts. A fight at a rookie symposium is embarrassing. A fight on the field is good. Helmet swinging is a little much, but Penn is a far bigger man. I like the fire though. Keep the fire going. Teams have had offenses and defenses go at it all season. As long as the defense is fighting the defense then this is a non issue.

[Nich]

"Fire" has nothing to do with taking your helmet off and swinging it at someone. Do hockey players take off their skates and try to shank someone? One has to wonder what new acquisition Josh Freeman thinks about this...

[BucFandango]

I guess if you don't like hitting, you could always go to a Lightning game. They don't hit anybody anymore or play defense. Sorry, that was a Cheap shot. Same town, different team. Same bat time, same bat channel

[Vince]

DR, just because it is a fact, does not mean it is accurate. Think about that one and get back to me.

[Go Long]

ok I'm Waiting....someone, somewhere is going to say this is somehow Gruden's fault..... haha Raheem wanted "violence" ok, you got it.

[noosa]

torrie cox is still on the team? wow i had completely forgotten he even existed

[1979 BucFan]

RUBE you couldnt be wronger. this IS how teams get closer.
um, see PANTHERS LAST YEAR?

its how you deal with the adversity is all as important as the act that caused it itself.

AND ive been a Bucs fan since McKay, and fights have ALWAYS happened.

i Do agree helmet is a weapon and is more than just a punch. more attributable to 2009 being different from 1979 though, than thug behavior. If anything Tory COX is more the thug than anyone on the team.

I met talib last year and we talked to him, he seems like a pretty much normal guy.

[Brian]

As long as he learns not to do that in a game--where he will be suspended--keep the heat up. By the way Vince, a "fact" by definition is accurate hence true. A supposition is a statement that needs to be determined for accuracy or truthfulness. Just trying to keep some accuracy in our blogs--oh, also DR is a tool.

[OAR]

What if he would have hit another player? Say like Freeman or or Byrant or Kellen(well he's not here, but you get my drift).

[OAR]

Spin-DR, as long as teammates are fighting teammates, that's cool?

[OAR]

Niko H, the Panthers didn't have a great year cause of Stevonne Smith punched a teammate in the face. That's hilarious. And it sounds to me like Cox was the one trying to be a team guy.

[Vince]

Brian, a football blog is probably not the proper forum for this discussion, but my point was that just because something is a fact does not mean that it is accurate. In this instance, Stephen/Stroud use a "fact" (a fight at the rookie symposium) as proof for their supposition that Talib has a character flaw (anger issues). What if the rookie symposium fight was started by Boyd? Or, the current fight started by Penn (a well-documented trash talker in his own right). Then the use of the fact it is objetcively true that a fight occured) is inaccurate because the fact does not fully convey the truth.

None other than Merriam-Webster:

Fact: a piece of information presented as have objective reality (the fight occured)

Accurate: conforming exactly to truth or standard. (the fight is/is not a sign of a charcter flaw)

Whew . . . really no place for this discussion on a football blog.

[OAR]

Fact: There is fighting in Hockey.
Accurate Fact: This is not Hockey.

[BucFandango]

Whether the story or the facts have been manipulated or not, Buc Fans are talking about it, and that is good for The Times. Can we get a little more specific on the injury. Was there blood? There will be blood? How much blood? Who's blood? What blood? Where the hell did I dine? Did he leave the blood on the helmet as a friendly reminder? Blood is good. I love blood. Let there be blood. Let it bleed... I love Hockey too. Went Lightning!

[Itch]

Seems Aquib is abundant in physical intelligence and deficient in emotional intelligence.

[Rube]

Ok Niko H, really this is how teams get closer? By fighting each other? and you used the Panthers as justification? I guess we can look forward to Josh Freeman throwing a billion picks at home in a horrific playoff loss like Del homo did last year against Arizona. This isn't how teams get close. Some can turn adversity into triumph but not all. And this isn't a hurricane coming through and knocking out stadiums and forcing the team to play its home games somewhere else. Of course Talib is nice in public. What is he just gonna tell people off when he shakes your hand? The guy is a hot head, they said he was a hot head when they first drafted him, and he is still a hot head one year later. He needs to grow up. Fact is this team doesn't have the veteran leadership is once had.

[Robert]

Not a big deal.. this is the NFl and you have a bunch of Alpha males with loads of testosterone running around hitting each other all day. This kind of stuff happens every year. Look at Steve Smith and Lucas last year. This was not nearly as bad! It's like Penn said,"Brothers fight." I grew up with 2 younger bro's and beating each other up was a daily ruitine. This kind of stuff usually brings you closer and that is a good thing. I gurantee every team in the NFl will have some kind of incident happen during the OTA's and Preseason workouts. Anyway, not a big deal.. Talib apologized and they will move forward. Im happy to see these guys are fired up!

[OAR]

Robert, I know and I'm sure anyone that watches football realizes it's violent sport. Shoving matches and fist fights are one thing, but to go after someone with a helmet(at this point is a blunt weapon) is totally different. "Brothers fight", sure I did with mine, but never wanted swing a weapon at him.

[BucFandango]

The question I would ask here, was Donald Penn wearing his helmet. Helmet to helmet is bad enough but won't kill you. Full swing helmet to bare head could. Probably the equivalent of a 40 mph car crash, no seat belt, head on, impact on the windshield post which will not give. Severe concussion, possible coma if in the ear or temple. As they say on CSI, Blunt Force Trauma. Ask DR, the MD, he'll know. Or ask Gary, you might be glad you did.

[OAR]

BucFanango, funny stuff!

[DR]

Sounds like it was a swung helmet at a player with a helmet on. Sorry soccer Brian and mOARon, but based on experience, a helmet swing to a player with a helmet off would be an ESPN link which this fight was not. Again, this isn't a big deal. I know soccer Brian and mOARon, there probably should have been a red card or something but this is football, not a twelve year old sport like soccer.

[OAR]

Ok almighty spin-DR what if he had hit your loverboy Clayton or Freeman in the hands or arms and did some serious damage? That is one of my points you a--! A player shouldn't be swinging anything, this isn't golf, baseball, or hockey, you a--! And I see the great DR is rubbing his magic-eightball again! You see he knows Penn had his helmet on, but the guy that got hit accidently didn't?
I find it funny that almost every post on here thinks that it's not a big deal to fight(fist) but agree he should not have swung his helmet and all you do is bad mouth the ones calling you out!
BTW: I can't stand soccer!

[DR]

Again, read the post mOARon. From reading this, it appears to me that Penn and Talib were at it in drills and Talib took his helmet off to swing at Penn, which is a coward move, and read, it clearly states that Cox went in to break it up, that's why he wasn't wearing a helmet. This is an assumption, but I would have to believe that if Talib swung a helmet at another player that didn't have a helmet on, he would be suspended right now and not at One Buc Place. Like a bar fight down in Ybor or Channelside, usually the person who tries to break it up gets jacked up.
The players are okay with what happened so this is a non issue.

[OAR]

DR, Assumption you need to heed the first three letters in that word.
You know all about getting jacked I bet too.

[DR]

mOARon, you and Kurt know all about getting jacked. When you guys getting married?