Back Injury Apparently Will Prevent Cochran From Playing With Raiders

OXNARD —  The Raiders say they don’t know where Brad Cochran is, but if they’re waiting for him to report, they’d better not hold their breath.

Cochran, the Michigan defensive back who was their second pick in the 1986 draft, is at home in Royal Oak, Mich., considering retirement.

“It’s looking dim,” said Cochran’s agent, Jim Abbott, Thursday from Detroit. “It looks like he’s not going to be able to play football again.

“It’s up to the doctors and the doctors say he can’t.”

Cochran underwent back surgery last year and missed his entire rookie season.

Cochran had his surgery two months before Bob Buczkowski, the No. 1 choice in the ’86 draft, had his operation, and seemed to have healed faster. He went through all of this spring’s minicamps, while Buczkowski was held out. Buczkowski is in camp now. He is being brought along slowly but is doing well.

“Brad was given permission by the team to come back here on the 24th,” Abbott said. “He had a serious surgery last October. He had a disk removed. Apparently, it was a two-level (vertebrae) fusion, and the third level will be under more stress. He was a little apprehensive.”

Abbott said Cochran was re-examined last week in San Francisco by Dr. Arthur White, who performed the surgery, and in Los Angeles by Dr. Gary Brazina.

“They found he was unable to practice and unable to play,” Abbott said.

Cochran, reached at his home in Royal Oak, wouldn’t say anything.

“There’s nothing new about it,” he said.