VALDOSTA, Ga. -- Valdosta State quarterback Cayden Cochran and his family have had to be incredibly resilient heading into the Division II national championship game.
The Cochrans have lost two homes in the past 18 months.
Valdosta State's game Saturday against Winston-Salem State in Florence, Ala., will come just six days after Cochran's family home in Cashion, Okla., was destroyed by a fire. The loss is especially painful since the family's previous home was leveled by a tornado in May 2011.
The family is looking forward to taking a break from the recovery effort. Cochran says the crisis is especially difficult when his mind is not on football.
Cochran's father, Chris, left Oklahoma Wednesday for the long drive to Alabama. He says he's grateful the game can "keep everything else off our mind."
