In its 1957 bowl games preview, Sports Illustrated described him as "Big enough at 195 (pounds) and with the speed needed to be a very fine off-tackle power runner or to sprint around end.
He stayed in state to attend Ole Miss and was a core player for the 1955 Rebels team that experienced one of the greatest seasons in school history.
The repeat Southeastern Conference champions won their final nine games en route to a 10-1 record, which included a 14-13 thriller over Texas Christian in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Despite their success, Cothren and the second-place Rams parted ways after the 1958 campaign, when team management decided to use defensive end Lou Michaels as their placekicker rather than pay a specialist to fill the role.
Cothren returned to the Eagles midway through the season, and in Week 11, he kicked a 14-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to beat his former Rams team by a 23-20 score in Philadelphia.