Former Phillies OF Dylan Cozens eyes NFL career
Former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Dylan Cozens is swapping sports, moving his focus to playing in the NFL.
Cozens, 27, announced on Twitter that he is leaving the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A affiliate in Nashville.
"I've decided it's time to chase my dream of playing in the @NFL," he tweeted. "I want to thank the @phillies @RaysBaseball and @Brewers organizations for giving me the opportunity to play professional baseball but more importantly the people, experiences, and memories I'll keep forever."
Cozens appeared in 26 games for the Phillies in 2018, hitting .158 (6-for-38) with one homer and two RBIs. He got one at-bat for Philadelphia in 2019, grounding out, before finishing that season in the farm systems of the Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays.
This year, Cozens batted .177 (14-for-79) with two homers, seven RBIs and four stolen bases in 31 games for Nashville. He hadn't played since Friday, and he was a combined 0-for-13 in his last four games.
According to multiple media reports, Cozens was a two-sport star at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., before declining a football scholarship from the University of Arizona when the Phillies chose him in the second round of the 2012 draft.
He went on to hit 40 homers for Double-A Reading in 2016 to highlight a lengthy minor league baseball career.
Cozens, who is 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, was a defensive end in high school. According to the Arizona Daily Star, Cozens logged 49 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks for a state-champion Chapparal team before committing to Arizona over Boise State, Missouri, Utah and Washington.
--Field Level Media
