Glen Kozlowski

NFL player


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Name=Glen Kozlowski
DateOfBirth=birth date and age|1962|12|31
Birthplace= Honolulu, Hawaii
DateofDeath=
Position=WR
number=88
College=Brigham Young University
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DraftedRound=
Stats=y
DatabaseFootball=KOZLOGLE01
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ProBowls=
years=1987-1992
teams=Chicago Bears

Glen Kozlowski (born December 31, 1962 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for six seasons for the Chicago Bears. Glen was also defeated in the 2007 Office Ball Championships held in Chicago by WGN Radio's David Kaplan.

Kozlowski, who wore number 7 in college, was a standout wide receiver on BYU's 1984 National Championship Team; he was known for making clutch, acrobatic catches. At the time, Glen was one of only two players (Todd Christensen) to start at BYU as a true freshman, playing over the course of his career with several standout quarterbacks: Steve Young, Jim McMahon, and Robbie Bosco. He once recorded double-digit receptions and over 200 yards receiving in a game against Boston College (Kickoff Classic). A Sports Illustrated article from the same period included a photo of Kozlowski leaping into the stands in celebration of one of his many touchdowns, reminiscent of the "Lambeau Leap" popularized by the Green Bay Packers in the 1990s.

Glen suffered a severe knee injury during his senior season that threatened to derail his goal of playing in the NFL. As a show of support for his injured teammate, BYU quarterback Robbie Bosco switched his jersey number from 6 to 7 for one game.

Kozlowski was drafted in the 11th round of the 1986 NFL draft by the Bears. He spent the entire 1986 season on injured reserve, recovering from knee surgery. "Koz" struggled to recover from knee reconstruction and was waived by the Bears in 1987. A very fast and physical receiver in college, Kozlowski regained his speed after his injury. (Years later he acknowledged having a difficult time making cuts in and out of pass patterns due to the knee problem). He later rejoined the team, playing as a replacement player during the NFL's strike season (1987).

Although Kozlowski played well in his replacement role, he suffered a broken leg while returning a kickoff, ending his "spare Bear" season. He returned to the Bears the following season and earned a spot on the regular season roster, principally as a special teams player. Because of his earlier releases and numerous re-signings, Kozlowski wore several different jersey numbers (83, 86, 88, and perhaps 96) while playing for the Bears. During his professional career, Kozlowski excelled on special teams, and was used sporadically at wide receiver. Arguably the most memorable catch of his professional career came during a 1988 Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers - a diving catch on a deep pass from Jim McMahon. Also of note, on special teams he once downed a punt at the one yard line in spectacular fashion, toe dancing the goal line while pitching the football back to teammate Ron Morris.

Kozlowski's brother, Mike, played in the defensive backfield for the Miami Dolphins in the 1980s. Glen is currently the head football coach at Wauconda High School (IL). One of his sons is a freshman walk-on football player at BYU. He now is on WGN radio in Chicago as a sports analyst.