Alec John "A. J." Cochran (born February 9, 1993) is an American professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

defender.

Early life and education

Cochran was born and raised in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

. His parents are Anne and John Cochran and he has one sister. He attended CBC High School. He also played

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

, and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

as a kid, but his dad encouraged him to focus on soccer. He attended the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Early career

Cochran attended CBC High School in

, where he played on the school soccer team. He helped lead the school to a state championship in his junior year and was an

NSCAA The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than 30 ...

All-American (and Missouri's

Gatorade Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...

player of the year) as a senior. He played for club side St. Louis Scott Gallagher as a kid. Cochran played three years of

college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Kingd ...

at the

between 2011 and 2013. He helped take the

Badgers Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by the ...

to the NCAA tournament his junior year. Accolades he received while at Wisconsin include 2011

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

All-Freshman team, 2012 and 2013 first team All-Big Ten, and 2013 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a 2013 first team NSCAA All-American, the first Badger to be a first team all American since 1995. While at college, Cochran appeared for PDL clubs

Michigan Bucks Flint City Bucks is an American association football, soccer team based in Flint, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club was founded in 1995 as the Mi ...

and

K-W United FC The Kennedy K-W is an American high-wing, strut-braced, single-seat glider that was designed by Harold Kennedy of Dodge City, Kansas, with assistance from Floyd Watson. The aircraft is notable for being assembled from certified powered airc ...

during their 2013 seasons. Cochran left Wisconsin after his junior season, signing a

Generation Adidas Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by Adidas, offers professional-ready players in the U.S. ...

deal with

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

Houston Dynamo

On January 16, 2014, Cochran was drafted by

Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...

in the first-round (16th overall) of the

2014 MLS SuperDraft The 2014 MLS SuperDraft was the fifteenth MLS SuperDraft, SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. The first two rounds of the four round draft took place on January 16, 2014, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Philadelphia Convention Center ...

. He made his professional debut on April 5, coming off the bench in a 4–1 loss to

FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). The franchise be ...

. During his first pro season, Cochran made 19 MLS appearances as the Dynamo finished 8th in the Eastern Conference, missing out on the playoffs. He also made 2 appearances in the U.S. Open Cup. During the 2015 season, Cochran made 7 MLS appearances as the Dynamo finished 8th in the Western Conference and failed to qualify for the playoffs again. In Open Cup play, Cochran played in all 3 of Houston's games as they reached the quarterfinals, where they lost to

Sporting Kansas City Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...

3–1. He also spent part of the season on loan with

USL The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...

club

Charleston Battery The Charleston Battery are an American professional association football, soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are one of the oldest continuously operating professiona ...

, where he made 2 appearances. On November 30, 2015, Cochran's contract option was declined by the Dynamo.

Saint Louis FC

Despite going on trial with the

Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, la ...

in the 2016 MLS pre-season, where he scored a match winning goal in a friendly against

Sacramento Republic Sacramento Republic FC is an American professional soccer team based in Sacramento, California, that plays in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, the second level in US soccer. Co-founded by Warren Smith and Joe Wagoner in 2012, th ...

, Cochran was not offered a contract and signed with

club

Saint Louis FC Saint Louis FC was an American professional soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded in May 2014, and competed in the USL Championship. The team played their matches at West Community Stadium, a venue inside the World Wide ...

on March 6, 2016. He made his debut for Saint Louis on March 26 in a 1–0 loss to

Real Monarchs Real Monarchs is a professional soccer club playing in the MLS Next Pro, a third division league of American soccer. The team is owned by, and operates as the reserve team of, the Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake. While the senior club is ...

. He had 2 assists from 27 appearances during the regular season as Saint Louis finished 14th in the Western Conference, failing to qualify for the playoffs. Cochran and Saint Louis opened the 2017 season on March 25 with a 0–0 draw against Louisville City. On May 17 he scored his first goal for Saint Louis in a 4–3 victory against

FC Wichita FC Wichita is a soccer club based in Wichita, Kansas that plays in USL League Two's Heartland Conference. The club was a member of the Heartland Conference in the National Premier Soccer League, a national semi-professional league at the fourth ...

in the U.S. Open Cup. He scored his first league goal for Saint Louis on June 2 in a 2–0 win over

Toronto FC II Toronto FC II is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, who play in MLS Next Pro, a third tier league of the United States soccer league system. It is the reserve team and minor league affiliate of Toronto FC as well as i ...

. Cochran ended the season with 18 USL appearances and 1 goal as Saint Louis missed the playoffs again, finishing 12th in the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta United 2

On January 24, 2018, Cochran signed with

Atlanta United 2 Atlanta United 2 are the reserve team of the Major League Soccer club Atlanta United FC. The team plays in the USL Championship, the second tier of American soccer. The team was established on November 14, 2017 and began their first professiona ...

of the

United Soccer League United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a Association football, soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues curren ...

. He made his debut for Atlanta United 2 on March 24, getting the start in a 3–1 win against

New York Red Bulls II New York Red Bulls II is an American professional soccer team based in Montclair, New Jersey. They are the reserve team of the New York Red Bulls and play in MLS Next Pro, the third tier in the American soccer pyramid. History Red Bull New Yo ...

. He ended the season with 2 assists from 30 appearances as Atlanta United 2 missed the playoffs after finishing 14th in the Eastern Conference.

Phoenix Rising FC

Cochran signed with

Phoenix Rising FC Phoenix Rising Football Club is an American professional Association football, soccer team based in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 2014 as Arizona United Soccer Club, the team is a member of the USL Championship. History On March 13, 2014, Kyle E ...

on December 25, 2018. He made his debut for Phoenix on March 16 in a 3–3 draw with

New Mexico United New Mexico United is an American professional soccer team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 2018, the team currently plays in the USL Championship, the second division of American soccer. History Former teams The state of New Mexic ...

. Cochran ended the regular season with 24 appearances and 4 assists, helping Phoenix finish top of the Western Conference. He played in both of Phoenix's playoff games as they lost to

in the quarterfinals. Cochran was named to the 2019 USL Championship All-League Second Team. On August 8, 2020, Cochran scored his first goal for Phoenix in a 5–2 win over New Mexico. He scored again on October 3 in a 4–1 victory against

LA Galaxy II LA Galaxy II is an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, United States founded in 2014. It is the reserve team of the LA Galaxy. The team competes in MLS Next Pro, the third tier of the United Sta ...

. In a shortened regular season due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, Cochran had 2 goals from 13 appearances. He started both of Phoenix's playoff games before the championship game was cancelled after multiple

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Champions ...

players and staff tested positive for COVID-19.

Indy Eleven

Cochran made the move to USL Championship side

Indy Eleven Indy Eleven is an American professional soccer team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 2013, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League in 2014, before moving to the United Soccer League in 2018. The franchise plays it ...

on February 17, 2021. He earned a place in the USL Team of the Week for Week 31 of the 2022 season after scoring a goal and a solid defensive performance in a 4–1 win over the Charleston Battery. He was released from his contract by mutual agreement on January 31, 2023. During his two years with the club, he accumulated 47 regular season appearances (39 starts) and scored one goal.

Charleston Battery

On February 2, 2023, Cochran joined USL Championship side

for their 2023 season.

Career statistics

Honors

Phoenix Rising *

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

Regular Season:

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

Individual * USL Championship All-League Second Team: 2019

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cochran, A. J. 1993 births Living people American men's soccer players American expatriate men's soccer players Wisconsin Badgers men's soccer players Flint City Bucks players K–W United FC players Houston Dynamo FC players Charleston Battery players Saint Louis FC players Atlanta United 2 players Phoenix Rising FC players Indy Eleven players Men's association football defenders Soccer players from St. Louis Houston Dynamo FC draft picks Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada USL League Two players Major League Soccer players United States men's under-23 international soccer players All-American college men's soccer players USL Championship players