The Houston Dynamo selected defender AJ Cochran and forward Mark Sherrod in today’s MLS SuperDraft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Houston used its first round pick (No. 16 overall) to select Cochran, a member of Generation adidas. The St. Louis, Mo. native played three seasons at the University of Wisconsin and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, the 6-foot-3 center back was a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy (NCAA player of the year) in 2013. The 20-year-old started 57 games and scored five goals in his career at Wisconsin.
“AJ was a player we had on our list,” said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. “He is a good center back and is going to provide some good competition. He is very good in the air, he is tough, and we like his attitude. He reminded us of Eddie Robinson, which is a good thing.”
In the second round (No. 32 overall), the Dynamo selected Sherrod (Pronouned: SHARE – idd) out of the University of Memphis. Sherrod, 20, scored 42 career goals in four seasons and was named Conference USA Player of the Year in 2011 after scoring 19 goals, a school-record. The Knoxville, Tenn. native was an All-American Athletic Conference selection after tallying seven goals in 18 games with the Tigers in 2013. The 6-foot-3 forward was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 after scoring 12 goals.
“We loved Mark’s work rate and he has good size,” said Kinnear. “He is good in the air and he is brave. He was a lone forward at the combine and he held the ball up well, fought for everything and showed a great attitude."
“I applaud the efforts of the technical staff on this draft,” said Dynamo president Chris Canetti. “They worked hard on the evaluations and it seems to have paid off with some smart picks. I'd like to welcome AJ and Mark to the club and look forward to watching them perform.”
The draft will continue on Tuesday, Jan. 21 with the third and fourth rounds. The Dynamo have a selection in the third round, the No. 54 overall pick.
AJ COCHRAN
Position: Defender
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 195
DOB: February 9, 1993
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
College: University of Wisconsin
Nationality: USA
How Acquired: Selected in the first round (No. 16 overall) of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft
MARK SHERROD
Pronunciation: SHARE – idd
Position: Forward
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 185
DOB: August 13, 1990
Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.
College: University of Memphis
Nationality: USA
How Acquired: Selected in the second round (No. 32 overall) of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft
