St. Charles Catholic defensive lineman Taylor Cochran has committed to play football at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Cochran (6’3, 315) played in only six games during his senior season due to a knee injury. The St. Rose native was still able to record 50 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, six sacks and three pass breakups.
St. Charles Catholic defensive coordinator Wayne Stein said that Cochran’s athleticism sets him apart.
“He is light on his feet for a guy his size,” Stein said. “He actually used to play quarterback for his flag football team in seventh grade and he has some of the best hands on the team.”
Stein said that while Cochran’s athleticism has made him a fearsome force on defense, his biggest attribute is his confidence.
“He plays with a chip on his shoulder,” Stein said. “He has played for us since his freshman year and in his sophomore year he had some growing pains. However, he committed himself to working extremely hard that summer and came back with a huge junior year.”
In Cochran’s junior season, he helped lead the Comets to a state title.
Cochran also showed his true character after Hurricane Isaac ripped through the area, flooding the homes of several teammates and coaches.
“He was the guy offering everybody help after the storm,” Stein said. “He was helping coaches and players clean up from the devastation.”
Cochran said he chose Southeastern because they stuck with him despite the knee injury that sidelined him for half of the season.
“A lot of other schools backed off, but not Southeastern,” he said.
Cochran said his goal is to start as a freshman and that Southeastern coaches told him he has a good shot at doing just that. As far as his strengths, Cochran said he is a run stopper who tries to be as physical as possible to disrupt every play.
Stein believes that Cochran’s best football is in front of him.
“His potential is not maxed out at all,” Stein said. “In fact, he can play on either the offensive or defensive lines. He would have been our best offensive lineman, but thankfully for me we used him on defense. He is so valuable there.”
Cochran had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his knee a month ago and is already back on his feet.
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