Joe Cocozzo (born August 7, 1970) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was an

offensive guard Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative (Netherlands), Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tende ...

for the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) from 1993 to 1997. He played

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for the

Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except wo ...

from 1989 to 1992, earning second-team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors in 1992.

Early life

Cocozzo was born in

Mechanicville, New York Mechanicville is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,163 at the 2020 census, a small decrease from 5,196 in 2010. It is the smallest city by area in the state. The name is derived from the occupations of early ...

, in 1970. He attended Mechanicville High School. He was a star football player for the Mechanicville Red Raiders. His high school honored him at a 2013 ceremony in which his jersey (#77) was put on permanent display.

College career

Cocozzo enrolled at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in 1988 and played

for the

Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the List of NCAA football teams by wins, most all-time wins in college football ...

teams as an

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tendency to cause acts of violence by the ...

in 1989 and as an

from 1990 to 1992. He started 32 games at right guard—eight in 1990, 12 in 1991, and 12 in 1992. Cocozzo played for the undefeated 1992 Michigan team that compiled a 9–0–3 record, won the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

championship, and defeated

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

in the

1993 Rose Bowl The 1993 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1993, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. In the 79th Rose Bowl; the #7 Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten, defeated the ninth-ranked Washington Huskies, ...

. At the end of the 1992 season, he was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player and a second-team All-American. He also played in the 1993

Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...

Professional career

Cocozzo was selected by the

in the third round (64th overall pick) of the

1993 NFL draft The 1993 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25–26, 1993, at the Marriot M ...

. In July 1993, he signed a three-year contract with the Chargers. He played five seasons for the Chargers from 1993 to 1997. He appeared in 77 NFL games, including 48 games as a starter. He started 13 regular season games at left guard for the 1994 San Diego Chargers that won the AFC Championship Game, but lost

Super Bowl XXIX Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion San Diego Chargers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...

to the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

. He signed with the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

as a free agent in June 1998. He injured his elbow during training camp and was cut with an injury settlement. After rehabilitating for a year, he went to training camp with the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

in 1999. He broke ribs on the first day of training camp when he was hit by a running back. He announced his official retirement before the 2000 season.

Later life

Cocozzo retired from football after suffering injuries, ultimately undergoing three operations on his left shoulder. When his playing career was over, he returned to Stillwater and purchased 350 acres adjacent to the Saratoga Battlefield. He later married Amanda Marshall. He and his wife have two sons, Anthony and James.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cocozzo, Joe 1970 births Living people American football offensive guards Michigan Wolverines football players San Diego Chargers players People from Mechanicville, New York Players of American football from New York (state)