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Serving the Town of Wilton, Connecticut
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johnnash@wiltonvillager.com
WILTON — In the end, Chris Kozlowski's future came down to a line from a 1981 song by REO Speedwagon.
"Should I follow my head, or follow my heart?"
Once he got his answer, Kozlowski — Wilton High School's two-sport and stage star — knew he'd be taking both his talents in football and lacrosse and his acting chops to Denison University in Ohio for the next four years.
"My brain was messing with me," said Kozlowski. "In the end, it just revealed that my heart was telling me that Denison was the right place."
At Wilton, Kozlowski was an all-FCIAC fullback/linebacker on the football field.
At Denison, however, he is being tabbed as a halfback.
"I think it's a great choice for him," said Wilton head football coach Tim Eagen. "They love him. From what I understand, he's the only fullback their recruiting. It's a great situation for him and his future."
The Big Red, which under head coach Nick Fletcher operates a ground-oriented offense, was 4-6 on the gridiron last fall
"Obviously we got a chance to see (Kozlowski) on film and we liked what we saw," said Fletcher, whose team can carry the ball up to 70 times a game. "Almost all my best running backs were fullbacks in high school and Chris is built like a lot of the players we've had to have been successful here."
The idea of playing in such an offense appeals to Kozlowski.
"What drew me the most was the opportunity I have to play there," he said. "Their coach is really optimistic and said if I work hard enough I could get a lot of playing time and maybe even be a starter right away."
And come a year from now, Kozlowski will get to play for Denison's lacrosse team, which earlier this week advanced to the NCAA Division III men's tournament quarterfinals.
"He's definitely going to make a difference for us," said Big Red lacrosse coach Matt McGinnis. "We like how he's a long-stick midfielder and how he plays on defense."
Kozlowski also liked what Denison could offer him in the academic fields as the school offers both communications and theater programs.
"I liked a lot of Denison's programs," said Kozlowski. "And I saw what people did after (graduating from the) school and that added a lot to it as well."
Denison is located in Granville, Ohio.
