Newsome, Ozzie 1956–

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Ozzie Newsome 1956–

Former professional football player, sports executive

Ozzie Newsome completed a remarkable journey from a small town in Alabama to the National Football League’s ultimate shrine—the Hall of Fame. However, he was not content simply with his amazing success on the field. New-some stayed in professional football as an executive with the Baltimore Ravens, and developed a reputation as a shrewd evaluator of talent. As vice president for player personnel for the Ravens, he is one of the most powerful African American executives in professional sports.

Newsome was born on March 16, 1956 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and was the third of five children. After winning the state football championship in high school, Newsome decided to attend the University of Alabama and play for legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. In four years with the Crimson Tide, he played in 48 straight games. During Newsome’s time at Alabama, the Crimson Tide won three Southeast Conference Championships and he was a consensus All-America. Not only did he finish his college career with 102 catches and 2,070 receiving yards, he revolutionized the game. Historically, the tight end served as a sixth offensive lineman whom the quarterback could dump the ball to if he was in trouble. However, Newsome’s size, speed, and soft hands gave him the ability not only to block, but also outrun linebackers and go deep. The Cleveland Browns were so impressed with New-some that they made him their first-round draft choice in 1978.

The Browns received a preview of Newsome’s greatness the first time he touched the ball during an NFL game. Newsome took the ball on a reverse, bolted 33 yards, and scored a touchdown that helped to lift the Browns to a victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Once he reached the end zone, Newsome spiked the ball in celebration. He was immediately horrified by his spur-of-the-moment celebration as he told the Associated Press at his Hall of Fame press conference: “At Alabama, we were always taught to show our class. And when you got into the end zone, act like you’d been there before. I never did it [spike the ball after a touchdown] again, and Monday morning I called coach Bryant and apologized. He hadn’t realized I had done it. He just appreciated that I was thoughtful enough to call him and let him know I had come out of character.” After his rookie season in Cleveland, New-some was named the Browns’ Offensive Most Valuable Player, the first rookie in 25 years to accomplish that feat. He was named to the All-Pro team in 1979, an

At a Glance…

Born on March 16, 1956 in Muscle Shoals, AL; children: Michael. Education: Graduated from the University of Alabama.

Career: Played four years at the University of Alabama, 1974-77; selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns, 1978; was a fixture as the Brown’s tightend and an offensive captain, 1978-90; vice president of player personnel for the Baltimore Ravens, 1996-.

Awards: First Team All-American, 1977; NFL All-Pro, 1979, 1984; selected to the Pro Bowl, 1982, 1985, 1986; received the Ed Block Courage Award, 1986; received the Whizzer White Award for community service, 1990; named to the College Football Hall of Fame, 1994; enshrined in the NFL’s Hall of Fame, 1999.

Addresses: Office— c/o The Baltimore Ravens, 11001 Owings Mills Boulevard, Owings Mills, MD, 21117.

honor he would again receive after the 1984 season. In addition to these two all-league honors, Newsome was named to the Pro Bowl following the 1982, 1985, and 1986 seasons. During this period, the Browns played in three AFC championship games.

Newsome was not only talented, but extremely tough. In 1986, he won the Ed Block Courage award for playing in spite of injury and keeping his prolific receiving streak alive. He caught passes in 150 straight games, a streak that lasted almost a decade. After playing in parts of three decades, Newsome retired in 1990 after squeezing in one last honor—the NFL Players Association Whizzer White Award for community service. As offensive captain for the Browns, he racked up some startling achievements. Newsome played in 197 consecutive games, finishing his career as the most prolific tight end in NFL history. He made 662 receptions for 7,980 yards and 47 touchdowns. Perhaps the most amazing statistic is that in the last 557 times he touched the ball, Newsome did not fumble.

Following the end of his playing career, Newsome remained with the Browns first in a coaching role and then as part of the front office. Although his post-football career was going well in Cleveland, the team and its owner Art Modell were in a battle with the city over whether or not a new stadium should be built for the Browns. Modell threatened to move the team if he did not receive a new stadium. In 1996, he made good on his threat. The old Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Ravens. New-some moved with the team to Baltimore. He told the Associated Press that the decision was a difficult one, “With me, it was an opportunity as a minority to get one of the highest-ranking jobs in professional sports.” As vice president of player personnel, Newsome is responsible for the future of the Ravens franchise. In four drafts, he selected three Pro-Bowl caliber players—Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis, and Jermaine Lewis. While Newsome is proud of his role in Baltimore’s success, he realizes that he must continue to produce and set an example of what an African American sports executive can accomplish. He told Thomas George of The New York Times about the pressure inherent in his job: “I’ve been evaluated all of my life, even though now my job is one of constant evaluation. There are blacks out there, former players and others, willing to climb their way up. A lot of people, owners included, are looking to see how I do. I am being compared closely with my peers.”

The crowning achievement of Newsome’s professional football career was his induction into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in August of 1999. Before the induction ceremony, Newsome nervously wondered how the Ohio-based crowd would react to a man who had been a Brown and then moved to Baltimore with Modell. He told Maria Ridenour of Knight Ridder Newspapers about his mind set going into the ceremony: “You expect the worst and you work from there. But it came down to something I learned from Coach Bryant. He said: ’In all circumstances, show your class.’ As I thought about what can and cannot happen, I kept reminding myself, ’Just show your class.’” Newsome’s fears proved to be groundless as the chant of “Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie,” went up from the throngs of Browns’ fans who attended the ceremony. In his long journey from Muscle Shoals, Alabama to the Hall of Fame, Newsome made the trip with grace and class.