Cochran Family Readies for 'Survivor' Premiere

Fans of "Survivor" since it premiered 22 seasons ago, the Cochrans can't believe one of their own will be a part of its history.

When the family sits down to watch "Survivor: South Pacific," the 23rd season of the hit CBS show,

Arlene Cochran, his mother, said she and John have always either watched "Survivor" together or discussed episodes over the phone.

"We couldn't have been happier for him. I mean how often does someone actually get to live a dream?" she said.

Before "Survivor," John Cochran did not watch much TV. Nothing piqued his interest, Arlene said.

But a game that bases itself on the ability to analyze human behavior seems like a natural fit for a future lawyer, as Cochran has completed two years of Harvard Law School.

Cochran has not been a passive fan, by any stretch of the imagination. After the first episode, he became obsessed. He began wearing the signature buffs on his arm and forehead on show days. A student at Flint Hill School from kindergarten through graduation, Cochran met resistance for violating the uniform policy. 

"I was kind of freaked out, but that eventually passed," he said.

In high school, he wrote a newsletter and handed them out to friends and teachers. Generally, the newsletter was a recap of the episode. But because Cochran has always been passionate in his fandom, the recaps would also include praises and jabs alike for the contestants he liked or didn't like. Over time, he started to include fake advertisements for made-up "Survivor"-related products.

What started out as a pen-and-paper recap turned into elaborate layouts, with copies available in the senior hallway for other students to pick up throughout the day.

["Survivor"] definitely became something synonymous with me," Cochran said. "It was almost cartoon character-y."

Fast-forward 11 years, and the obsession lives on. Cochran still marvels at the fact that he was not only chosen, but chosen after his first attempt at applying.

"Being on the show has always been a dream," Cochran said. "...I didn't necessarily think my fandom would translate into being cast. Generally, the casting is beautiful, buff guys and modelesque young women. I knew I didn't fit that mold, so there was a point where I was like, 'Why even bother apply?'"

But knowing he was approaching the end of law school and the start of his career, he wanted to try for his dream.

After the euphoria of being chosen wore off, a few doubts creeped into Cochran's mind, but he did not let them overwhelm him.

"I just tried to focus on, I wanted to do this for 11 years. I can't let my fears of being a tiny guy or weak or whatever overwhelm me," he said. "History shows that that isn't a huge obstacle to doing well. I figured, OK, I can try to be likeable and show that I'm a smart guy."

Heading into the premiere, which airs 8 p.m. Wednesday on CBS, Cochran is receiving high marks from Emmy-winning host Jeff Probst, who said Cochran impressed him on day one.

"Right out of the gate, John Cochran said, 'Jeff, would you please call me Cochran because I like when you call people by their last names,'" Probst said in a cast assessment video, a move he later called the greatest strategic move he's ever seen. "Cochran is really engaged in the game and he gets it. The odds on paper would look horribly against Cochran. And I really think that he could be that guy that wins."