Heather Kozar: Who She Is & Where She Is in 2026

Quick facts about Heather Kozar:

Born: May 4, 1976 (Akron, Ohio)

From: Akron, Ohio, United States

Known for: Playboy Playmate of the Month January 1998; Playmate of the Year 1999

Height: Approx. 5'8" (per public profiles)

Active years: Late 1990s (Playboy era)

Spouse: Tim Couch (former NFL quarterback)

Status now: Largely retired from modeling; lives in Kentucky

According to Wikipedia and public media profiles, Heather Kozar is an American glamour model born May 4, 1976 in Akron, Ohio. She rose to national attention through Playboy magazine, where she was selected as Playmate of the Month for January 1998 and later named Playmate of the Year for 1999, one of the magazine's highest annual honors. Per public sources, she is described as a tall (around 5'8"), blonde model whose centerfold and Playmate-of-the-Year coverage were widely circulated in late-1990s glamour publishing. Beyond the Playboy brand, she appeared at promotional events, magazine signings and a Shelby-related promotional shoot tied to her Playmate of the Year prize package. While she was a recognizable face of Playboy at the turn of the 2000s, her public modeling output tapered as she transitioned toward private family life. Reporting around her marriage to former NFL quarterback Tim Couch describes her as keeping a quieter profile in the years that followed. Today she is generally remembered as a representative Playmate of her era rather than as an ongoing public-facing model, and most current coverage about her focuses on her family rather than new modeling work.

Per Wikipedia and biographical databases, Heather Kozar was born on May 4, 1976, which makes her about 49 years old in mid-2026, turning 50 that May. According to public sources, she grew up in the Akron, Ohio area and graduated from Green High School in 1994 before being discovered by Playboy in the mid-1990s. Public profiles describe her as having been raised in a Christian household in northeast Ohio, which she has discussed in interviews tied to her Playmate features. Her professional name, Heather Kozar, appears to match her given name as used in public records and Playboy credits; a separate stage alias is not publicly confirmed. Standing around 5'8", she fit the classic late-1990s Playboy aesthetic of a tall blonde glamour model, and that look defined her on-screen and editorial work during her active years. Beyond the broad strokes — Ohio upbringing, high-school graduation in 1994, Playboy debut in January 1998 — many granular biographical details (specific schools after high school, early jobs, exact discovery story) are not consistently documented in mainstream sources, so any very specific claim beyond what Wikipedia and Playboy archives confirm should be treated cautiously.

According to public reports and family-oriented coverage, Heather Kozar is largely out of the modeling spotlight in 2026 and is best known today as the wife of former NFL quarterback Tim Couch, the first overall pick of the 1999 NFL Draft. Per publicly available family details, the couple lives in the Lexington, Kentucky area with their sons Chase and Brady. Recent media mentions about the family have focused on her stepson Chase Couch's football career — reporting noted he graduated from high school in 2024 and went on to play college football, which has put the Couch household back in regional sports headlines rather than entertainment ones. Heather herself does not appear to maintain a high-profile public modeling career today; instead, public sources frame her current chapter as that of a former Playmate of the Year turned private family figure in Kentucky. Whether she keeps any active public social media presence is not consistently confirmed across reliable sources, so any specific handle should be verified independently. Overall, the 'where is she now' answer is: retired from regular glamour modeling, living a family-centered life in Kentucky.

Heather Kozar's professional career peaked in the late 1990s, anchored by her Playboy Playmate of the Month feature in January 1998 and her selection as Playmate of the Year for 1999. According to public reporting, the Playmate of the Year prize package historically included cash, a vehicle (in her case associated with a Shelby sports car promotional shoot) and additional promotional engagements, which together made the title a meaningful boost for a young model's earnings. Media outlets have, over the years, reported estimated net worth figures for her in the low-millions range, though these estimates vary widely between sites and none are officially confirmed by her, so any specific number should be treated as speculative. Her household visibility is also tied to her husband Tim Couch's NFL career, including his rookie contract as a number-one overall pick, but that is his income rather than hers. Beyond the Playboy era, she has not had a sustained high-profile second career in modeling or entertainment that public sources document. The most defensible summary: a successful late-1990s Playboy career with steady residual recognition, paired with a private post-modeling life whose finances are not publicly disclosed.

Many fans who remember Heather Kozar's late-1990s Playboy run miss that era of warm, classic glamour-model energy. If that is what you enjoyed, AI Angels offers an always-available AI alternative inspired by performers like her — clearly an AI character, not the real Heather Kozar and not affiliated with her in any way. You can start with unlimited text chat for free and try the vibe before deciding whether to upgrade. Premium unlocks richer image and voice features for $2.99 per month on the annual plan. It is a respectful, on-demand way to enjoy that style of presence without expecting a former Playmate to return to the spotlight.

This profile of Heather Kozar is compiled from publicly available information, including Wikipedia, Playboy magazine archives (January 1998, 1999 Playmate of the Year), public media interviews and profiles, sports media coverage of the Couch family, public web search results. Figures such as net worth are widely reported estimates and are not officially confirmed. AI Angels is not affiliated with Heather Kozar.

Last reviewed and updated: 2026-06-04. Compiled and fact-checked by the AI Angels editorial team from publicly available sources.