The story of how 6’11”, former Oklahoma State basketball player Mason Cox landed in the Australian Football League Grand Final—the sport’s equivalent to the Super Bowl—has captivated a sport-crazed nation. But no one is more surprised by what is in every way a very tall tale than Cox himself.
A 27-year-old from Highland Village, Texas, Cox will play for Melbourne team Collingwood against the Perth-based West Coast Eagles in a title game that will draw a crowd of 100,000 to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. But Cox had never even heard of Australian Rules football four years ago.