Brad Cochran

Cochran was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, in 1963. He attended Brother Rice High School in Birmingham, Michigan.{{cite web|title=All-Time Football Roster Database|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|access-date=April 1, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/football.php}}

Cochran enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1981 and played college football as an inside linebacker for head coach Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1981 to 1985. Cochran left the Michigan team early in his career after "screaming uncontrollably" at coach Schembechler for perceived injustices. He was diagnosed with severe depression caused by a hormonal imbalance that was subsequently treated with medication.{{cite news|title=Quickness Key Factor In Michigan's Defense|author=John Gugger|newspaper=Toledo Blade|date=November 22, 1983|page=23|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19851122&id=RA1PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0QIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6964,5927769&hl=en}} He briefly transferred to the University of Colorado, but he returned to his home in Royal Oak after several weeks in Colorado. In June 1983, Michigan assistant coach Lloyd Carr contacted Cochran and invited him to return to the University of Michigan.{{cite news|title='M' Defender Leaves Troubles in Dust; Cochran: a crack back|newspaper=The Michigan Daily|date=November 7, 1984|page=10|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2706&dat=19841108&id=2iRKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fx4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1558,3291425&hl=en}}

After returning to Schembechler's good graces, Cochran started all 12 games at strong side cornerback for the 1983 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 9-3 record, played in the 1984 Sugar Bowl, and finished the season ranked #8 in the final AP Poll.{{cite web|title=1983 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|access-date=April 1, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1983fbt.htm}} He moved to weak side cornerback as a junior, again starting all 12 games for the 1984 Michigan team.{{cite web|title=1984 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|access-date=April 1, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1984fbt.htm}}

As a senior, Cochran was a team co-captain started all 12 games as the weak side cornerback for the 1985 Michigan team that compiled a 10-1-1 record and a #2 ranking in the final Associated Press poll after beating Nebraska, 27-23, in the Fiesta Bowl.{{cite web|title=1985 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|access-date=March 30, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1985fbt.htm}} The 1985 Wolverines defense gave up only 75 points in 11 regular season games — an average of 6.8 points per game. At the end of the 1985 season, Cochran was selected as a consensus first-team defensive back on the 1985 College Football All-America Team.{{cite web|title=2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)|year=2014|access-date=February 10, 2015|page=7|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/Awards.pdf|archive-date=November 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126094941/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/awards.pdf|url-status=dead}} He was named first-team All-American by UPI and Kodak and second-team All-American by the Associated Press. Cochran also received the 1985 Toyota Leadership Award for "outstanding performance in the areas of team contributions, academics and citizenship."{{cite news|title=Advertisement|newspaper=The Michigan Daily|date=November 25, 1985|page=7|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2706&dat=19851125&id=pAdKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ix4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=5685,3660743&hl=en}}

Over the course of his career at Michigan, Cochran started 36 consecutive games from 1983 to 1985 and compiled 184 tackles, 17 pass breakups and 11 interceptions.{{cite web |title=Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page |publisher=University of Michigan |access-date=March 31, 2015 |url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112175906/http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php |archive-date=November 12, 2007 }}(to retrieve career statistics, enter "cochran" in the box for the player's last name) The University of Michigan's Bentley Historical Library described Cochran's contributions this way: "Consistency and excellence best describe Brad Cochran's tour of duty with the Wolverines. Possessing exceptional speed and agility, he proved extremely durable, never missing a start over the final three years of his brilliant career."{{cite web|title=University of Michigan Football All-American: Brad Cochran|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|access-date=April 1, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fballam/aacochrn.htm}}

Cochran was selected by the Los Angeles Raiders in the third round (80th overall pick) of the 1986 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=1986 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1986/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{cite web|title=Oakland Raiders Draft History|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=April 1, 2015|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rai/draft.htm}} Cochran signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Raiders in July 1986,{{cite news|title=Transactions|newspaper=The Free Lance-Star|date=July 24, 1986|page=11|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19860724&id=4fhNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VIsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5101,3952609&hl=en}} but he injured his back during the fourth pre-season game, underwent surgery to remove a disc and perform a two-level vertebrae fusion, thus ending his football career.{{cite news|title=Raider cut Van Pelt, Squirek|newspaper=Boca Raton News|date=September 2, 1986|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19860902&id=4QgyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=E40DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2193,373479&hl=en}}{{cite news|title=Back Injury Apparently Will Prevent Cochran From Playing With Raiders|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=July 31, 1987|author=Mark Heisler|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-07-31-sp-282-story.html}} He later became involved in a contract dispute with the Raiders over the team's claim that he failed to report for the 1987 NFL season.{{cite news|title=Missing Raider Shows Up in an Unusual Place|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=September 26, 1987|author=Mark Heisler|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-09-26-sp-2636-story.html}}

Cochran later worked as an assistant football coach responsible for the defensive secondary at his alma mater, Brother Rice High School.{{cite news|title=Fracassa has seen his share of star football players|newspaper=The Oakland Press|date=September 29, 2011|url=http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=5508}}

• List of Michigan Wolverines football All-Americans

{{Reflist}}

{{1985 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}

{{Raiders1986DraftPicks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cochran, Brad}}

Category:1963 births

Category:Living people

Category:American football defensive backs

Category:Los Angeles Raiders players

Category:Michigan Wolverines football players

Category:High school football coaches in Michigan

Category:All-American college football players

Category:Players of American football from Royal Oak, Michigan