Ozzie Newsome facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ozzie Newsome

Newsome in 2023
Baltimore Ravens
Position:	Executive vice president/player personnel
Personal information
Born:	(1956-03-16) March 16, 1956 (age 69) Muscle Shoals, Alabama, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	232 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High school:	Colbert County (Leighton, Alabama)
College:	Alabama (1974–1977)
NFL Draft:	1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23
Career history
As player:
Cleveland Browns (1978–1990)
As executive:
Cleveland Browns (1991–1992) Assignment scout Cleveland Browns (1993) Assistant to the head coach/offense/pro personnel Cleveland Browns (1994–1995) Director of pro personnel Baltimore Ravens (1996–2001) Executive vice president/player personnel Baltimore Ravens (2002–2018) General manager Baltimore Ravens (2019–present) Executive vice president/player personnel
Career highlights and awards
As player 2× First-team All-Pro (1979, 1984) 4× Second-team All-Pro (1980, 1981, 1983, 1985) 3× Pro Bowl (1981, 1984, 1985) NFL 1980s All-Decade Team PFWA All-Rookie Team (1978) Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor Consensus All-American (1977) 2× First-team All-SEC (1976, 1977) As executive 2× Super Bowl champion (XXXV, XLVII)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 662 Receiving yards: 7,980 Receiving touchdowns: 47
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Ozzie Newsome Jr. (born March 16, 1956) is a famous American football executive and former player. He is currently an executive for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL). Newsome played as a tight end for the Cleveland Browns. Later, he became the general manager for the Ravens. He is honored in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Ozzie Newsome's College Football Career

Ozzie Newsome played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was a starter for all four years of his college career. People called him "The Wizard of Oz" because of his amazing skills. In 1977, he was named to the College Football All-America Team. During his time, Alabama had a great record of 42 wins and only 6 losses.

Newsome caught 102 passes for 2,070 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. He also returned 40 punts for 301 yards. His average of 20.3 yards per catch was a Southeastern Conference record for over 20 years. He was named Alabama's Player of the Decade for the 1970s. In 1994, Ozzie Newsome was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. His coach, Paul "Bear" Bryant, called him "the greatest end in Alabama history."

Ozzie Newsome's Professional Playing Career

Ozzie Newsome was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1978 NFL draft. He was the 23rd player picked overall. In his first year, he was named the Browns' Offensive Player of the Year. This was a big deal, as no rookie had won that award in 25 years.

Newsome was selected for the Pro Bowl three times: in 1981, 1984, and 1985. In 1984, he set a Browns record for most receiving yards in a single game with 191 yards. This record stood for 29 years! He also received the Ed Block Courage Award in 1986 for playing through injuries. In 1990, he won the Byron "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award for his community work. Even though he never played in a Super Bowl, his team made it to the playoffs seven times. They also reached the AFC championship game three times.

Newsome ended his playing career with 662 catches and 7,980 receiving yards. Both of these were Cleveland Browns franchise records. He also scored 47 touchdowns. When he retired, he had more catches and yards than any other tight end in NFL history. In 1999, Ozzie Newsome was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Ozzie Newsome as a Football Executive

After his playing career, Ozzie Newsome moved into a front office role. He worked for the Cleveland Browns from 1991 until the team moved to Baltimore in 1996. He then became an executive for the new team, the Baltimore Ravens. On November 22, 2002, Newsome became the first general manager of the Ravens. This made him the first African-American to hold that position in the NFL.

As an executive, Newsome helped the Ravens win two Super Bowl championships. The first was Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, where the Ravens beat the New York Giants 34–7. The second was Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, when they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34–31.

In 2018, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti announced that Newsome would step down as general manager. His assistant, Eric DeCosta, took over the role. However, Newsome still works for the Ravens in an important position. He is now the executive vice president of player personnel.

Other Awards and Honors

In 2003, Ozzie Newsome received the Eagle Award from the United States Sports Academy. This award recognized his big contributions to sports around the world.

He is also a member of the Cleveland Browns' "Ring of Honor." He was part of the very first group of people inducted into this honor on September 19, 2010.