Troy University Athletics
Photo by: Joey Meredith
Johnson's Journal - From the Bleachers to the Brotherhood: Cochran’s Quiet Impact on Troy Athletics
12/30/2025 9:06:00 AM | Football, General
Lonnie Cochran, a basketball player at Troy University in the 1980s, began showing up at football practices on campus in 2006 – keeping his distance in one corner of the stadium bleachers while looking down and taking mental notes of interactions between players and coaches.
"I did this for like six weeks straight, just observing," Cochran said. "Well, after that sixth week, one of the players saw me up there and introduced me to Coach (Larry) Blakeney."
The legendary head football coach of the Trojans greeted Cochran with his trademark, "Hey, cuz," in what would be the first interaction between the two.
Cochran explained he was involved in ministry work and would like the opportunity to speak to the team.
Blakeney wasn't so keen on the idea at first.
"He had a bad experience with a local preacher doing chapel to his team," Cochran would learn. "He told him to take 10 minutes, and he took 30, so it put a bad taste in his mouth."
But the coach relented to let Cochran, who was involved with the Wiregrass chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, speak to his team.
"He's made it clear that, 'I need you to take 10 minutes … that's all I need you to take,'" Cochran recalled of Blakeney. "I took seven minutes. That sealed the deal."
Cochran has served as team chaplain of the Troy football program ever since, along with also mentoring athletes and coaches from various sports on campus. He makes the drive from his home in Dothan to Troy most every day of the week.
"I'm doing more life coaching and mentoring … that's kind of how Troy uses me," Cochran said.
Through his outreach, Cochran hopes to shape the lives of others, much like someone did for him many years ago.
An attitude adjustment
After graduating from Troy in 1987, Cochran worked 15 years at Farley Nuclear Plant, not far from his hometown of Ashford in southeast Alabama.
He describes himself as "terrible" during his early years there.
"I got so bad, I didn't even like my own self," Cochran said. "I wasn't thinking I'm gonna hurt myself, but just filthy."
During that time of a broken spirit, a lady working there reached out to Cochran.
"That woman kept coming to me and saying, 'You need to come to church. We're having revival,'" Cochran said. "I cursed her out so bad. I mean, that's how bad I was."
The co-worker, however, was persistent.
"She never left me alone," Cochran said. "I'm 6-foot-5 and she's a little over five feet. I'm thinking she'll be scared of me, and she'll stop. She didn't.
"She bothered me so much in a good way. I only went to church so she'd leave me alone. I thank God for it now."
Once showing up on a Sunday morning at the church the woman attended, Cochran experienced something unexpected.
"I ain't never been the same," Cochran said. "I don't even know the man (preacher) that was in there talking. He was saying something, and for the first time in my life, I realized I was a sinner.
"All I know is God's spirit got a hold of me. I was the only black person in this church. I'm the biggest one in there, and the folks are looking at me.
"When that preacher got done, he gave an altar call, and I was too embarrassed to go, so I tried to sneak out of the door, and the Lord just followed me right home. I cried and I cried. It's weird when God's dealing with you."
When Cochran reached home, his wife was watching the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) on television.
"The man on TBN was saying the same thing the man in church is saying, and it's like, 'Lord, you trying to tell me something?'" Cochran said. "I remember just not being able to control myself. Right there in front of that television, I surrendered and I asked Him to save me.
"The next two weeks, I couldn't sleep and was crying all the time. I couldn't understand … nobody could explain to me … why are you crying?
"All these people that had been telling me I need to straighten up … well, when I straighten up, they can't explain to me what's going on."
Cochran joined a Bible study group and would eventually resign from Farley to go into ministry work, learning from pastors from different parts of the country. He even began preaching at a church and became heavily involved with the Wiregrass FCA in mentoring high school students.
"I've just never been the same," Cochran said.
Getting prepared for the day
Cochran starts most mornings with some alone time at Westgate Park in Dothan, mentally preparing for the day ahead.
"I call it routine," Cochran said. "When you see people doing extraordinary things, there's nothing special about them. If you watch golf, Scottie Scheffler says, 'I'm not the best. I don't hit the ball the longest.' He says, 'But what I do is I pay attention to detail. I don't take shots off.'
"It's the same way with the scripture. I have a routine, and I've been going to Westgate Park ever since 2020 … since COVID. I just go out there and sit and meet with the Lord. I get ready for the day. I call it making deposits so you can write checks."
Cochran says "every single day" he reads Bible scriptures.
"I want to be transformed," Cochran said. "I don't trust myself; I trust that word. And so I let it dictate to me how I behave. I read it every day. It's like food – it's spiritual food.
"That's the difference between a Bible and a book or a novel. It's a living word. You can't get bored with it, not if you've got a heart and appetite for it."
The road back to Troy
Cochran has been a fixture around Troy athletics since being given the thumbs up by Blakeney to be the team chaplain for the football program.
Gary Banks, now the wide receivers coach at Troy, was a receiver on the team in 2006 and noticed "some guy just sitting in the stands watching practice." He was among the ones who eventually approached and introduced Cochran to Blakeney.
Banks was associated with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the time and the Campus Outreach program at Troy.
"It was that common denominator that kind of drew us together, and then from there led to him being the team chaplain," Banks said. "Through Fellowship of Christian Athletes, we would have weekly devotions that he was heavily involved in, and it was through those experiences that he gained the confidence of other players – not just football, but other sports in general."
Cochran's calming, humble and straight forward approach drew the players in.
"If you know Lonnie, he's not an outspoken person," Banks said. "He doesn't try to draw attention to himself. He's real passionate about what he does for athletics here at Troy.
"What I appreciate the most is he's so in tune to what's going on."
Banks treasures the relationship that has developed over the years.
"It's meant everything for me," Banks said. "He's kind of always been that person you could reach out to. Not to bombard his life, because I know he's got people pulling on him left and right, but he's that type of person who will definitely make time."
Relating to the players
Though now 60 years old, Cochran doesn't have any trouble identifying with today's athletes.
"The players relate to me because I get it," Cochran said. "They know I understand, and so I don't have any problem at all speaking their language. I can go into their world and bring them to my world easily.
"I don't struggle with getting their attention or relating to them at all. I know how to get inside of them and they really, really appreciate that."
Cochran meets with a group of the football coaches each Thursday morning of a game week during the season and speaks to the team the night before games.
"Even now, when we have our team devotions the night before the game, his messages really, really hit home," Banks said. "It's not only giving you inspiration for the game, but it's giving you inspiration for life. I think that's where he's really special."
Cochran is also the team chaplain for the women's basketball team and available to meet with athletes from any of the Troy teams.
"The other day, it was a soccer girl," Cochran said. "Folks need to be heard and cared for. When you call me on Sunday at 2 o'clock in the morning, I'm gonna come check on you. These kids don't have their parents (on campus), and if they're in trouble, I'm going to them.
"I don't know if you ever heard of the Motel 6 (commercial) that says, 'We'll leave the light on.' I've got three kids and I leave my phone on. And it's the same way with these kids at Troy. I treat them the same way. They may not call their coach, but they call me."
Athletes becoming leaders
A group of athletes on campus this year formed Troy Christian Athletes (TCA) and have begun a Tuesday night Bible study under the watchful eye of Cochran.
Dailynn Motes, a sophomore on the softball team, is among the leaders who helped spearhead the group that has quickly grown in attendance since the first meeting in early September.
"My freshman year, the Lord really put it on my heart to start an FCA (chapter)," Motes said. "It never really worked out.
"Two weeks before I came back for my sophomore year, I was having a conversation with my brother and literally out of nowhere the Lord just weighed like a brick on my chest. I just heard His voice louder than ever that this needs to be done."
As Motes returned to campus this past August, she wanted to pursue starting a Christian-based gathering of students, but really didn't know who to reach out to or how to approach it.
After talking to her coach (Eric Newell), her teammates and others around campus, she still wasn't sure what direction to take.
"I talked to my roommate (Lydia Kirby) and said I was really stressed, and we needed to get it started," Motes said. "She said, 'Alright, we're going to plan it out, and we're going to do this thing.' Immediately, I just had peace."
The two reached out to athletes from the various sports on campus, and the first meeting was held Sept. 4. While the group was formed with athletes in mind, any student on campus is welcome to attend.
"The verse we go off of is Isaiah 6:8, and it says, 'Whom should I send, and who will go for us?' It's like as soon as we said yes to what God had put on our heart, He already had everything planned."
The gatherings were a quick success.
"We've had 40 to 50 people every week," Motes said. "We had two people get baptized on the softball field. It literally has taken off."
Meetings are held each Tuesday night from 7 until 8 in a room on the fourth floor of Veterans Memorial Stadium.
There as needed
While Cochran isn't directly involved in the TCA meetings, he is often present and makes sure they have what is needed.
"He's definitely behind the scenes, but he makes sure every door is open, the elevators are unlocked … we don't have to handle a thing," Motes said. "We show up and we student-lead it.
"Of course, when you're going to start doing something for the Lord, you're going to have some push back on some things, but he's (Cochran) been our rock in that."
Motes talks about the friendships that have developed from the meetings.
"Before, our athletes were very divided," Motes said. "Everyone would just kind of hang out with their own sport. But ever since this happened, I've gained different friendships in different sports, and that's not how it was at all last year."
Cochran is proud of what TCA has quickly become.
"We've got great leaders by softball players," Cochran said. "They are all good, and I'm not saying that lightly. They need no supervision. Sometimes I'm just floored by what they do for such a young age.
"Sometimes … maybe once a month … I might go up there, but they don't need me.
"They've got resources, they've got Bibles and, man, they're just a self-starting group. They are prayer warriors, too."
Content with his role
There's nothing Cochran would rather be doing than mentoring athletes at a college that meant so much to him as a player.
"This isn't employment, it's a calling," Cochran said. "And so, I work for the Lord. When I quit my job at Farley Nuclear, I knew I was going to work for God.
"I made a lot of money … more money than I ever had in my life (at Farley) …but I didn't have a purpose.
"There's nothing that makes me feel this way other than what I'm doing. I'm not confused by what I'm supposed to do. What's cool is you never know who you're going to touch the next day. I mean, it always changes."
Things may change, but Cochran remains very much the same.
"He's just consistent, man," Banks said of his longtime friend. "He's always the same."
"I did this for like six weeks straight, just observing," Cochran said. "Well, after that sixth week, one of the players saw me up there and introduced me to Coach (Larry) Blakeney."
The legendary head football coach of the Trojans greeted Cochran with his trademark, "Hey, cuz," in what would be the first interaction between the two.
Cochran explained he was involved in ministry work and would like the opportunity to speak to the team.
Blakeney wasn't so keen on the idea at first.
"He had a bad experience with a local preacher doing chapel to his team," Cochran would learn. "He told him to take 10 minutes, and he took 30, so it put a bad taste in his mouth."
But the coach relented to let Cochran, who was involved with the Wiregrass chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, speak to his team.
"He's made it clear that, 'I need you to take 10 minutes … that's all I need you to take,'" Cochran recalled of Blakeney. "I took seven minutes. That sealed the deal."
Cochran has served as team chaplain of the Troy football program ever since, along with also mentoring athletes and coaches from various sports on campus. He makes the drive from his home in Dothan to Troy most every day of the week.
"I'm doing more life coaching and mentoring … that's kind of how Troy uses me," Cochran said.
Through his outreach, Cochran hopes to shape the lives of others, much like someone did for him many years ago.
An attitude adjustment
After graduating from Troy in 1987, Cochran worked 15 years at Farley Nuclear Plant, not far from his hometown of Ashford in southeast Alabama.
He describes himself as "terrible" during his early years there.
"I got so bad, I didn't even like my own self," Cochran said. "I wasn't thinking I'm gonna hurt myself, but just filthy."
During that time of a broken spirit, a lady working there reached out to Cochran.
"That woman kept coming to me and saying, 'You need to come to church. We're having revival,'" Cochran said. "I cursed her out so bad. I mean, that's how bad I was."
The co-worker, however, was persistent.
"She never left me alone," Cochran said. "I'm 6-foot-5 and she's a little over five feet. I'm thinking she'll be scared of me, and she'll stop. She didn't.
"She bothered me so much in a good way. I only went to church so she'd leave me alone. I thank God for it now."
Once showing up on a Sunday morning at the church the woman attended, Cochran experienced something unexpected.
"I ain't never been the same," Cochran said. "I don't even know the man (preacher) that was in there talking. He was saying something, and for the first time in my life, I realized I was a sinner.
"All I know is God's spirit got a hold of me. I was the only black person in this church. I'm the biggest one in there, and the folks are looking at me.
"When that preacher got done, he gave an altar call, and I was too embarrassed to go, so I tried to sneak out of the door, and the Lord just followed me right home. I cried and I cried. It's weird when God's dealing with you."
When Cochran reached home, his wife was watching the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) on television.
"The man on TBN was saying the same thing the man in church is saying, and it's like, 'Lord, you trying to tell me something?'" Cochran said. "I remember just not being able to control myself. Right there in front of that television, I surrendered and I asked Him to save me.
"The next two weeks, I couldn't sleep and was crying all the time. I couldn't understand … nobody could explain to me … why are you crying?
"All these people that had been telling me I need to straighten up … well, when I straighten up, they can't explain to me what's going on."
Cochran joined a Bible study group and would eventually resign from Farley to go into ministry work, learning from pastors from different parts of the country. He even began preaching at a church and became heavily involved with the Wiregrass FCA in mentoring high school students.
"I've just never been the same," Cochran said.
Getting prepared for the day
Cochran starts most mornings with some alone time at Westgate Park in Dothan, mentally preparing for the day ahead.
"I call it routine," Cochran said. "When you see people doing extraordinary things, there's nothing special about them. If you watch golf, Scottie Scheffler says, 'I'm not the best. I don't hit the ball the longest.' He says, 'But what I do is I pay attention to detail. I don't take shots off.'
"It's the same way with the scripture. I have a routine, and I've been going to Westgate Park ever since 2020 … since COVID. I just go out there and sit and meet with the Lord. I get ready for the day. I call it making deposits so you can write checks."
Cochran says "every single day" he reads Bible scriptures.
"I want to be transformed," Cochran said. "I don't trust myself; I trust that word. And so I let it dictate to me how I behave. I read it every day. It's like food – it's spiritual food.
"That's the difference between a Bible and a book or a novel. It's a living word. You can't get bored with it, not if you've got a heart and appetite for it."
The road back to Troy
Cochran has been a fixture around Troy athletics since being given the thumbs up by Blakeney to be the team chaplain for the football program.
Gary Banks, now the wide receivers coach at Troy, was a receiver on the team in 2006 and noticed "some guy just sitting in the stands watching practice." He was among the ones who eventually approached and introduced Cochran to Blakeney.
Banks was associated with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the time and the Campus Outreach program at Troy.
"It was that common denominator that kind of drew us together, and then from there led to him being the team chaplain," Banks said. "Through Fellowship of Christian Athletes, we would have weekly devotions that he was heavily involved in, and it was through those experiences that he gained the confidence of other players – not just football, but other sports in general."
Cochran's calming, humble and straight forward approach drew the players in.
"If you know Lonnie, he's not an outspoken person," Banks said. "He doesn't try to draw attention to himself. He's real passionate about what he does for athletics here at Troy.
"What I appreciate the most is he's so in tune to what's going on."
Banks treasures the relationship that has developed over the years.
"It's meant everything for me," Banks said. "He's kind of always been that person you could reach out to. Not to bombard his life, because I know he's got people pulling on him left and right, but he's that type of person who will definitely make time."
Relating to the players
Though now 60 years old, Cochran doesn't have any trouble identifying with today's athletes.
"The players relate to me because I get it," Cochran said. "They know I understand, and so I don't have any problem at all speaking their language. I can go into their world and bring them to my world easily.
"I don't struggle with getting their attention or relating to them at all. I know how to get inside of them and they really, really appreciate that."
Cochran meets with a group of the football coaches each Thursday morning of a game week during the season and speaks to the team the night before games.
"Even now, when we have our team devotions the night before the game, his messages really, really hit home," Banks said. "It's not only giving you inspiration for the game, but it's giving you inspiration for life. I think that's where he's really special."
Cochran is also the team chaplain for the women's basketball team and available to meet with athletes from any of the Troy teams.
"The other day, it was a soccer girl," Cochran said. "Folks need to be heard and cared for. When you call me on Sunday at 2 o'clock in the morning, I'm gonna come check on you. These kids don't have their parents (on campus), and if they're in trouble, I'm going to them.
"I don't know if you ever heard of the Motel 6 (commercial) that says, 'We'll leave the light on.' I've got three kids and I leave my phone on. And it's the same way with these kids at Troy. I treat them the same way. They may not call their coach, but they call me."
Athletes becoming leaders
A group of athletes on campus this year formed Troy Christian Athletes (TCA) and have begun a Tuesday night Bible study under the watchful eye of Cochran.
Dailynn Motes, a sophomore on the softball team, is among the leaders who helped spearhead the group that has quickly grown in attendance since the first meeting in early September.
"My freshman year, the Lord really put it on my heart to start an FCA (chapter)," Motes said. "It never really worked out.
"Two weeks before I came back for my sophomore year, I was having a conversation with my brother and literally out of nowhere the Lord just weighed like a brick on my chest. I just heard His voice louder than ever that this needs to be done."
As Motes returned to campus this past August, she wanted to pursue starting a Christian-based gathering of students, but really didn't know who to reach out to or how to approach it.
After talking to her coach (Eric Newell), her teammates and others around campus, she still wasn't sure what direction to take.
"I talked to my roommate (Lydia Kirby) and said I was really stressed, and we needed to get it started," Motes said. "She said, 'Alright, we're going to plan it out, and we're going to do this thing.' Immediately, I just had peace."
The two reached out to athletes from the various sports on campus, and the first meeting was held Sept. 4. While the group was formed with athletes in mind, any student on campus is welcome to attend.
"The verse we go off of is Isaiah 6:8, and it says, 'Whom should I send, and who will go for us?' It's like as soon as we said yes to what God had put on our heart, He already had everything planned."
The gatherings were a quick success.
"We've had 40 to 50 people every week," Motes said. "We had two people get baptized on the softball field. It literally has taken off."
Meetings are held each Tuesday night from 7 until 8 in a room on the fourth floor of Veterans Memorial Stadium.
There as needed
While Cochran isn't directly involved in the TCA meetings, he is often present and makes sure they have what is needed.
"He's definitely behind the scenes, but he makes sure every door is open, the elevators are unlocked … we don't have to handle a thing," Motes said. "We show up and we student-lead it.
"Of course, when you're going to start doing something for the Lord, you're going to have some push back on some things, but he's (Cochran) been our rock in that."
Motes talks about the friendships that have developed from the meetings.
"Before, our athletes were very divided," Motes said. "Everyone would just kind of hang out with their own sport. But ever since this happened, I've gained different friendships in different sports, and that's not how it was at all last year."
Cochran is proud of what TCA has quickly become.
"We've got great leaders by softball players," Cochran said. "They are all good, and I'm not saying that lightly. They need no supervision. Sometimes I'm just floored by what they do for such a young age.
"Sometimes … maybe once a month … I might go up there, but they don't need me.
"They've got resources, they've got Bibles and, man, they're just a self-starting group. They are prayer warriors, too."
Content with his role
There's nothing Cochran would rather be doing than mentoring athletes at a college that meant so much to him as a player.
"This isn't employment, it's a calling," Cochran said. "And so, I work for the Lord. When I quit my job at Farley Nuclear, I knew I was going to work for God.
"I made a lot of money … more money than I ever had in my life (at Farley) …but I didn't have a purpose.
"There's nothing that makes me feel this way other than what I'm doing. I'm not confused by what I'm supposed to do. What's cool is you never know who you're going to touch the next day. I mean, it always changes."
Things may change, but Cochran remains very much the same.
"He's just consistent, man," Banks said of his longtime friend. "He's always the same."
Behind the Wall - S10, E14
Sunday, December 28
Chanda Rigby Postgame Press Conference - No. 24 Alabama
Sunday, December 21
Troy vs. No. 24 Alabama
Sunday, December 21
Troy vs. Marshall (Full Highlights)
Sunday, December 21