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Cochran works out for scouts
By Josh Moon
Montgomery Advertiser
Alabama State's Earl Cochran wraps up Tuskegee running back Aaron James during the Turkey Day Classic at Cramton Bowl.
-- David Alan Planchet Advertiser
Since he was 9 years old, Earl Cochran has dreamed of playing professional football.
He took a big step toward making that dream a reality Wednesday, when he worked out in front of several NFL scouts at ASU in preparation for next week's NFL supplemental draft.
"I think it went pretty well," Cochran said afterwards. "I talked to some of the scouts and they seemed to have liked what they saw. They gave some suggestions on things I need to work on, but they weren't too critical."
The supplemental draft is held each year for players that miss the regular NFL draft. Normally, the players involved in the supplemental draft are college players with only one year of eligibility left but who wouldn't meet the academic requirements to compete the next year.
That makes Cochran somewhat of an oddity. In May, Cochran learned that his eligibility at ASU was up because he played in too many games in his freshman season in 1999 to be listed as a redshirt player. Up to that point, ASU had listed Cochran as a redshirt senior for the upcoming 2003 season.
Finding out about the problem so long after the season was over presented Cochran with another problem -- he had already missed the NFL draft. That meant he would either have to sit and wait on next year's regular draft or go through this year's supplemental draft.
Cochran contacted the Sports Management Worldwide agency and agent John Holmes about what he should do.
"When John told me about Earl's situation, I didn't believe what I was hearing," said Lynn Lashbrook, who is the founder and president of SMW. "I had never heard of anything like this and I've been in this business for a long time. I really couldn't believe it when I saw Earl for the first time. This is an amazing athlete and an amazing person. And he called us. That just doesn't happen."
Lashbrook said he and Holmes immediately began working on getting Cochran into the supplemental draft.
"I've been working out hard for the past three weeks," Cochran said. "I knew this was my shot. I knew I had to give it everything I had."
With thoughts that this might be only shot, Cochran said he's wondered every day for the past three weeks if he was doing enough.
"I would lay in bed at night and think, 'Did I do enough today? Should I do some more?'" he said. "There were many nights that I got out of bed and done push-ups until I couldn't do anymore. I mean, this is my shot. I've got to do all I can."
After spending a short time with Cochran, Lashbrook said he knew was dealing with a special player.
"We knew we had to get this kid out there," Lashbrook said. "This is the best player I've represented. We knew there would be a lot of interest once teams saw him and knew about him."
They were right.
Scouts from the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans were all on hand at ASU Wednesday to see Cochran up close and personal.
And Cochran did his best to put on a good show.
He worked out in front of the scouts in the weight room for about an hour and then went out to the track at Hornet Stadium for some running drills.
"They worked me pretty hard," Cochran said. "I expected that. They work you out a little harder if you're coming off an injury."
Cochran broke his ankle in the second-to-last game last season at ASU and was unable to work out for most of the winter.
"A month ago was the first time I worked since November," Cochran said. "I went through rehab but that's not working out. They were testing me out here today to see how my ankle held up. I think I showed them that it was fine."
Lashbrook was convinced.
"I think there's going to be a lot of interest shown in Earl on draft day," Lashbrook said. "It's going to come down to whether or not teams want to take a chance and give up a draft pick, but I think they'll take that chance with Earl."
In the supplemental draft, if a team selects a player, they must give up their pick in the corresponding round of next year's regular draft.
For example, if the Bears take Cochran in the fifth round of next week's supplemental draft, they must give up their fifth-round pick in the 2004 regular draft.
"It's going to be a matter of how far teams think they can let Earl go and still get him," Lashbrook said. "I think there's enough interest in Earl that teams can't take the chance on letting him slip to far."
However, should no team select Cochran in the draft, he then becomes a free agent.
"That can be almost as much fun as waiting on the draft," Lashbrook said. "You'll have seven or eight teams calling and it turns into a bidding war."
Cochran said the fun was now over him.
"The hardest part is going to be the waiting," he said. "I'm going to go workout and take the advice that I got from these guys today and put it to good use. But waiting to see what happens will be tough."
Lashbrook expects a happy ending.
"It's a bad story at the start," he said. "But I think we're going to give it a good ending."
I pray that some team drafts him. I mean after all, this fiasco has went on long enough with him and those other kids.
By Josh Moon
Montgomery Advertiser
Alabama State's Earl Cochran wraps up Tuskegee running back Aaron James during the Turkey Day Classic at Cramton Bowl.
-- David Alan Planchet Advertiser
Since he was 9 years old, Earl Cochran has dreamed of playing professional football.
He took a big step toward making that dream a reality Wednesday, when he worked out in front of several NFL scouts at ASU in preparation for next week's NFL supplemental draft.
"I think it went pretty well," Cochran said afterwards. "I talked to some of the scouts and they seemed to have liked what they saw. They gave some suggestions on things I need to work on, but they weren't too critical."
The supplemental draft is held each year for players that miss the regular NFL draft. Normally, the players involved in the supplemental draft are college players with only one year of eligibility left but who wouldn't meet the academic requirements to compete the next year.
That makes Cochran somewhat of an oddity. In May, Cochran learned that his eligibility at ASU was up because he played in too many games in his freshman season in 1999 to be listed as a redshirt player. Up to that point, ASU had listed Cochran as a redshirt senior for the upcoming 2003 season.
Finding out about the problem so long after the season was over presented Cochran with another problem -- he had already missed the NFL draft. That meant he would either have to sit and wait on next year's regular draft or go through this year's supplemental draft.
Cochran contacted the Sports Management Worldwide agency and agent John Holmes about what he should do.
"When John told me about Earl's situation, I didn't believe what I was hearing," said Lynn Lashbrook, who is the founder and president of SMW. "I had never heard of anything like this and I've been in this business for a long time. I really couldn't believe it when I saw Earl for the first time. This is an amazing athlete and an amazing person. And he called us. That just doesn't happen."
Lashbrook said he and Holmes immediately began working on getting Cochran into the supplemental draft.
"I've been working out hard for the past three weeks," Cochran said. "I knew this was my shot. I knew I had to give it everything I had."
With thoughts that this might be only shot, Cochran said he's wondered every day for the past three weeks if he was doing enough.
"I would lay in bed at night and think, 'Did I do enough today? Should I do some more?'" he said. "There were many nights that I got out of bed and done push-ups until I couldn't do anymore. I mean, this is my shot. I've got to do all I can."
After spending a short time with Cochran, Lashbrook said he knew was dealing with a special player.
"We knew we had to get this kid out there," Lashbrook said. "This is the best player I've represented. We knew there would be a lot of interest once teams saw him and knew about him."
They were right.
Scouts from the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans were all on hand at ASU Wednesday to see Cochran up close and personal.
And Cochran did his best to put on a good show.
He worked out in front of the scouts in the weight room for about an hour and then went out to the track at Hornet Stadium for some running drills.
"They worked me pretty hard," Cochran said. "I expected that. They work you out a little harder if you're coming off an injury."
Cochran broke his ankle in the second-to-last game last season at ASU and was unable to work out for most of the winter.
"A month ago was the first time I worked since November," Cochran said. "I went through rehab but that's not working out. They were testing me out here today to see how my ankle held up. I think I showed them that it was fine."
Lashbrook was convinced.
"I think there's going to be a lot of interest shown in Earl on draft day," Lashbrook said. "It's going to come down to whether or not teams want to take a chance and give up a draft pick, but I think they'll take that chance with Earl."
In the supplemental draft, if a team selects a player, they must give up their pick in the corresponding round of next year's regular draft.
For example, if the Bears take Cochran in the fifth round of next week's supplemental draft, they must give up their fifth-round pick in the 2004 regular draft.
"It's going to be a matter of how far teams think they can let Earl go and still get him," Lashbrook said. "I think there's enough interest in Earl that teams can't take the chance on letting him slip to far."
However, should no team select Cochran in the draft, he then becomes a free agent.
"That can be almost as much fun as waiting on the draft," Lashbrook said. "You'll have seven or eight teams calling and it turns into a bidding war."
Cochran said the fun was now over him.
"The hardest part is going to be the waiting," he said. "I'm going to go workout and take the advice that I got from these guys today and put it to good use. But waiting to see what happens will be tough."
Lashbrook expects a happy ending.
"It's a bad story at the start," he said. "But I think we're going to give it a good ending."
I pray that some team drafts him. I mean after all, this fiasco has went on long enough with him and those other kids.
