View source for Brad Cochran

{{Short description|American football player (born 1963)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox college football player
|name=Brad Cochran
|school=Michigan Wolverines
|currentnumber=30
|currentposition=[[Defensive back]]
|class=
|major=
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1963|6|17}}
|birth_place=[[Royal Oak, Michigan]], U.S.
|heightft=6
|heightin=3
|weight=219
|highschool=[[Brother Rice High School (Michigan)|Brother Rice]], [[Birmingham, MI]]
|pastschools=
* [[University of Michigan]] (1981-1985)
|highlights=
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1985 College Football All-America Team|1985]])
* First-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten]] ([[1985 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1985]])
* Second-team All-Big Ten ([[1984 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1984]])
|cbs=
|espn=
|si=
|yahoo=
|rivals=
}}
'''Bradley Cochran''' (born June 17, 1963)<ref>{{cite web|title=Brad Cochran|publisher=National Football League|work=nfl.com|access-date=April 1, 2015|url=http://www.nfl.com/player/bradcochran/2511666/profile}}</ref> is an American former [[college football]] player who was a [[defensive back]] for the [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan Wolverines]] from 1981 to 1985.  As a senior, Cochran was recognized as a consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]]. He also received the 1985 Toyota Leadership Award. He signed to play professional football with the [[Los Angeles Raiders]], but injured his back during the preseason of his rookie year, ending his football career.

==Early years==
Cochran was born in [[Royal Oak, Michigan]], in 1963. He attended [[Brother Rice High School (Michigan)|Brother Rice High School]] in [[Birmingham, Michigan]].<ref name=Roster>{{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}}</ref>

==University of Michigan==
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.<ref name=Roster/>  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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name=Crack/>  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.<ref name=Crack>{{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}}</ref>

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]].<ref name=t83>{{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}}</ref> He moved to weak side cornerback as a junior, again starting all 12 games for the [[1984 Michigan Wolverines football team|1984 Michigan team]].<ref name=t84>{{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}}</ref>

As a senior, Cochran was a team co-captain started all 12 games as the weak side cornerback for the [[1985 Michigan Wolverines football team|1985 Michigan team]] that compiled a 10-1-1 record and a #2 ranking in the final [[Associated Press]] poll after beating [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]], 27-23, in the [[Fiesta Bowl]].<ref name=t85>{{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}}</ref> The 1985 Wolverines defense gave up only 75 points in 11 regular season games — an average of 6.8 points per game.<ref name=t85/>  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]].<ref name=CAA>{{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}}</ref>  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."<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{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)</ref>  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."<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==Later years==
Cochran was selected by the [[Los Angeles Raiders]] in the third round (80th overall pick) of the [[1986 NFL draft]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>  Cochran signed a three-year contract with the [[Los Angeles Raiders]] in July 1986,<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>

Cochran later worked as an assistant football coach responsible for the defensive secondary at his alma mater, Brother Rice High School.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Michigan Wolverines football All-Americans]]

==References==
{{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]]