Ozzie Newsome
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| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||
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| Date of birth: | March 16, 1956 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Muscle Shoals, Alabama | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | Alabama | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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Ozzie Newsome Jr. (born March 16, 1956) is a former American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the current general manager of the Baltimore Ravens.
College career
Newsome played for the University of Alabama, where he started for all 4 years of his college career.[1] Nicknamed "The Wizard of Oz," Newsome made the College Football All-America Team in 1977 and assisted the Crimson Tide to a 42 and 6 overall record during his four seasons.[2] In total, Newsome amassed 102 receptions for 2,070 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.[3] His 20.3 average yards per catch was a Southeastern Conference record for over 20 years.[4] Newsome was named the Alabama Player of the Decade for the 1970s.[3] He was a two-time All-SEC player (in 1976 and 1977), and named him SEC Lineman of the Year in 1977 by the Birmingham Quarterback Club and the Atlanta Touchdown Club. In 1994, Newsome was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.[5] Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant called him "the greatest end in Alabama history and that includes Don Hutson. A total team player, fine blocker, outstanding leader, great receiver with concentration, speed, hands."[6]
Professional career
Newsome was the 23rd pick in the 1978 NFL Draft for the Cleveland Browns.[1] He was named the Browns' Offensive Player of the Year his rookie year, the first time in 25 years that a rookie had received that honor. Newsome went to the Pro Bowl in 1981, 1984 and 1985. In 1984, Newsome set a franchise record for receiving yards in a game (191) that stood for 29 years until it was broken in 2013 by Josh Gordon (who recorded 237 and 261 yards in back-to-back games).[7] In 1986, Newsome won the Ed Block Courage Award for playing with injuries, and in 1990 won the Byron "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award for his community service.[3]
Newsome did not miss a game in his 13-year NFL career, playing in 198 consecutive games as a Brown with 191 starts.[8] He finished his career with 662 receptions and 7,980 yards, both Cleveland franchise records, and 47 touchdowns, fourth all-time.[9] In 1999 Newsome was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[10]
Football executive
On November 22, 2002, Newsome was named general manager of the Baltimore Ravens, making him the first African-American to occupy that position in the NFL.[11] He had previously been a front office executive with Ravens since 1996 and with the Browns from 1991 to 1995.
Newsome earned his first Super Bowl ring when the Ravens defeated the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, and earned a second ring after the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII 34-31 in 2013.
Other awards
In 2003, Newsome received the United States Sports Academy's highest honor, the Eagle Award, in recognition of his significant contributions to international sport.[12]
Newsome is a member of the Cleveland Browns' "Ring of Honor", becoming a member of the first class inducted on September 19, 2010.[13]
References
- 1 2 Max Strauss (21 February 2011). "Hall of Fame Tight End, Current Ravens General Manager, Ozzie Newsome Interview". prointerviews.org.
- ↑ "SB Nation College Football Hall Of Fame Inductee Ozzie Newsome". SBNation. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- 1 2 3 "Ozzie Newsome Jr.". The Encyclopedia of Alabama. 18 January 2012.
- ↑ Brandon Larrabee. "Alabama's Ozzie Newsome Inducted Into SB Nation College Football Hall Of Fame". SBNation. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- ↑ "Ozzie "The Wizard of Oz" Newsome". National Football Foundation. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ Bob Gain (26 January 2008). "Players reflections on Paul W. "Bear" Bryant". TideSports.com.
- ↑ "Josh Gordon sets NFL record". ESPN. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ↑ "Ozzie Newsome". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ Steve King. "Hall of Fame Ozzie Newsome - Tight End". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ "Hall of Famers Ozzie Newsome". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ "History: African-Americans in Pro Football". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ "Ozzie Newsome Jr.". The Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ Barry Barnes (26 August 2010). "Ozzie Newsome to Receive Honor at Cleveland Browns Stadium". AOL News.