MLB Farmhand, Nashville Sound Player Giving Up Baseball To Chase NFL Dreams

Former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Dylan Cozens has decided to put his baseball dreams aside to pursue a different dream — the dream of playing in the NFL.

Cozens, 27, said on Tuesday he was giving up a roster spot on the Milwaukee Brewers' Class AAA team in Nashville to pursue one in the NFL.

"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."

The 6-6, 245-pound outfielder was a two-sport star at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, and his father Randy was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1976, Yahoo Sports reports. He had a scholarship offer to play football at the University of Arizona but turned it down when the Phillies drafted him in the second round of the 2012 MLB draft.

The outfielder spent eight years in the Phillies organization, with his best season coming in 2016, when he hit .276 with 40 home runs and 125 RBI at Class AA Reading, Yahoo Sports reports. He finally reached the Major Leagues in 2018, when he played in 26 games, hitting .158 with a homer and two RBI in 38 at-bats. He hasn't played in the Major Leagues since 2019.

Max Preps shows his high school stats from the 2011-12 year:

Screenshot courtesy of MaxPreps.com.