Kyle Kosier

Kyle Blaine Kosier (born November 27, 1978) is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State

Kosier has also played for the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys.

Early life
He was born in Peoria, Arizona. Kosier is Jewish, as is his mother. On discovering that teammate Igor Olshansky was also Jewish, he said: "That's kind of cool to have a teammate share the same faith that I have".

Early years
He attended Cactus High School in Glendale, Arizona. He was a letterman in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field.

In football, his athleticism allowed him to play middle linebacker at a bigger size than most players could. As a senior in 1996, the Arizona Republic named him to the All-Arizona Team, and KPNX-TV named him the 1996 Arizona Class 4A Defensive Player of the Year.

In 2011, he became the first football player to have his jersey retired by Cactus High School.

College career
He signed with Arizona State University to play defensive end, but a shortage of offensive linemen made him convert to offensive guard as a redshirt freshman. He was a starter at right guard as a junior and senior.

San Francisco 49ers
Kosier was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft, becoming a regular starter during his second season.

Detroit Lions
In 2005 the Detroit Lions signed him as a restricted free agent to a one year contract. The 49ers did not match the offer and received a seventh round draft choice from the Lions as compensation.

He was used by the team as a swing tackle, until being moved to the left guard starting position with 11 games remaining in the season.

Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys signed him as an unrestricted free agent on March 2006. Although the move was made to replace Larry Allen at left guard, it didn't get much acknowledgment because Kosier was a relatively unknown player.

He started 80 games over six seasons, missing 13 games in 2008 with a foot injury and three with a knee injury in 2010.

During the 2011 season, he was moved to right guard to help with the development of rookie right tackle Tyron Smith, who became a Pro Bowl alternate. Kosier played that year with a plantar fascia injury, before suffering a torn ligament in his left knee in the last game of the regular season.

Throughout his Cowboys years, he always remained an important presence in the locker room, often getting recognition for the versatility, chemistry and stability he provided to the offensive line.

Kosier was cut on March 19, 2012 after becoming expendable with the signings of free agent offensive guards Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings.