If Jack Cochrane was just an NFL player, that would be enough.

But the 2017 Mount Vernon grad, who held his second annual Youth Camp at Armstrong Field on Sunday, May 31, gets to show his character over and over and over.

He’s been with the Kansas City Chiefs for four years, and every year he’s had to fight for a job in training camp. He expects this fall to be no different.

“Unless you are one of those top guys, nothing is ever given to you,” Cochrane said. “There’s obviously some stress that comes with that. But after you’ve done it, you become accustomed to it. You just go out and try to prove yourself, every day.”

Every fall the undrafted free agent keeps impressing the Chiefs and continues his role as a reserve linebacker and special teams standout. He has two Super Bowl rings to show for it.

“He’s got to prove it every year, and that’s just the way he is,” said Mount Vernon coach Brad Meester, a former NFL star himself. “I didn’t get a chance to coach him. But I know who did, and they talk about how hard of a worker he is. He’s getting after it. There’s no quit in him. He does it the right way.”

Cochrane said he loves coming back to his hometown and putting on the free clinic for the kids in town.

“This is a pretty special place for me,” Cochrane said. “Whatever I can do to give back to this town. … This place afforded me so many opportunities.”

Cochrane was a two-time all-state linebacker for the Mustangs, but couldn’t get much interest from Div. I or FCS programs. Former Mount Vernon coach Lance Pedersen leaned on the coaching staff at South Dakota to give him a chance.

With the Coyotes, Cochrane was a captain for three consecutive years and finished with the sixth-most tackles in program history (327).

“After his senior year, I called the coach (who was reluctant to give him a scholarship) and told him, ‘you owe me a steak dinner,'” Pedersen said. “He agreed.”

He went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, but signed with the Chiefs. They keep resigning him, one year at a time.

“I’m living my dream and doing what I love,” Cochrane said. “At the same time, I’ve got to keep fighting and finding ways to get better.”

Being a Chief has been a blessing.

“Really good culture, really good organization,” Cochrane said. “It starts from the top down. The Hunt family, they handle the business the right way and they care about winning. They treat the players really well. And Coach (Andy) Reid is one of a kind.”

On the field, Cochrane has 62 regular-season tackles over four years, plus one interception.

He enjoys running into former teammate Tristan Wirfs (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) or old rival Tyler Linderbaum (Baltimore Ravens and now the Las Vegas Raiders).

“I love to see the Eastern Iowa guys out there and always catch up with them after games,” Cochrane said. “Especially this area, down Highway 1. It is really good. It is a cool environment on this side of the state. It has produced some impressive players.”

Cochrane was impressed by the new football facility.

“It is a sign of a healthy community,” Cochrane said. “A community that has always been invested in its athletics and extracurriculars.”

A lot of Mount Vernon grade-school students got a chance to see him Sunday.

“When we run the drills, he is right in there playing catch with them,” Meester said. “He has a huge impact on these kids. He is someone they can see on TV and want to be like.

“These kids realize if you work hard, and keep after it, anything is possible. The chances of making it to the NFL, I don’t know what it is, one in a million. … He shows it can be done. You’ve just got to stay after it and do the right things.”

“I remember being a little kid saying this is what I want to do,” Cochrane said. “When days get hard, you always go back to those moments. You don’t let that young kid down. You keep doing your thing.”