Former Phillies Prospect Dylan Cozens Ends Baseball Career to Pursue NFL

Professional baseball player Dylan Cozens announced that he is leaving the sport to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.

https://twitter.com/dylancozens/status/1407381846174883844

Cozens was a 3-star prospect at strong-side defensive end in the high school class of 2012, per 247Sports. The Chaparral High School (Scottsdale, Arizona) standout had offers from Washington, Boise State, Missouri and Utah before signing with Arizona.

However, the Philadelphia Phillies took the two-sport star in the second round of the 2012 MLB draft. Cozens ended up choosing the baseball route, playing professionally from 2012-2019 and then in 2021.

Cozens had a cup of coffee in the bigs, playing 27 games over the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Phils, hitting .154 with a homer and two RBI in 45 plate appearances. He was in the Phillies' organization for eight years before heading to the Tampa Bay Rays' system in 2019 and then the Milwaukee Brewers' minor leagues in 2021.

The 6'6", 245-pound Cozens will now attempt to become the first person to make appearances in MLB and the NFL since Drew Henson, who made appearances for the New York Yankees (2002-2003), Dallas Cowboys (2004) and Detroit Lions (2008).