Ex-Phillies OF Dylan Cozens Retiring From Baseball To Try And Make It In The NFL

A former Philadelphia Phillies second-round pick has announced that he's leaving the game of baseball to try for a second career.

In the NFL.

Dylan Cozens announced on Twitter that he’s going to do whatever he can to play professional football, leaving Major League Baseball.

“I’ve decided it’s time to chase my dream of playing in the ,” Cozens wrote.

“I want to thank the organizations for giving me the opportunity to play professional baseball but more importantly the people, experiences, and memories I’ll keep forever.”

Cozens was a second-round pick back in 2012. He finally made it to the Majors three years ago in 2018.

In his time in the Majors he played in 27 games in two seasons, hitting .154 with a homer and two runs batted in.

Late last season he inked a minor-league deal deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, and has appeared in 31 games this season for their AAA affiliate in Nashville.

Cozens dad knows a lot about the gridiron, as he was a four-year player at the University of Pittsburgh, and he was drafted by the Broncos in the 17th round of the 1976 draft.

The now former Phillies outfielder played defensive end in high school, and committed to play football at Arizona before signing with the Phillies.

Making the switch from baseball to football is not going to be easy for Cozens. He first needs to land a tryout with a team, and then needs to do enough to prove to that team he can make the roster.

It's a longshot, but give Cozens credit for going after his dream after his time in the Majors.





















Written by
Matt has been a part of the Cleveland Sports landscape working in the media since 1994 when he graduated from broadcasting school. His coverage beats include the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Cavaliers. He's written three books, and won the "2020 AP Sports Stringer Lifetime Service Award."