Ozzie Newsome

Ozzie Newsome is known throughout the NFL as one of the game’s top leaders and personnel authorities. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, Newsome was the architect of the Ravens’ Super Bowl XXXV championship team in 2000. In recognition of that achievement, he was voted the NFL’s Executive of the Year. Promoted from director of player personnel by Art Modell in 2002, Ozzie became the NFL’s 1st GM who is African American. Newsome is a member of 2 major NFL policy-making committees: the Competition and Diversity Committees.

OVERVIEW: Newsome joined the front office of the Cleveland franchise following his storied career as the Cleveland Browns’ Pro Bowl tight end (1978-1990)…From his 1st position as an assignment scout for the Browns in 1991, Ozzie went on to become the Ravens’ general manager and executive vice president in the fall of 2002, after directing player personnel since the start (1996) of the Baltimore franchise…Voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH in 1999…Hall of Famer and NFL great Calvin Hill (RB - Dallas, Washington, Cleveland), a close friend of Ozzie’s, introduced Newsome at the induction ceremony.

NFL DRAFTS: Under Newsome’s guidance, the Ravens own remarkable draft success…In the team’s 1st 11 drafts, Newsome has selected 1st-rounders who have earned Pro Bowl honors a total of 33 times…The team’s 1st picks ever – Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis – the 4th and 26th selections, respectively, in the 1996 draft, have combined for 18 Pro Bowls…Both are considered likely NFL Hall of Famers…In those 11 drafts, Baltimore has selected in the bottom half of the 1st round with uncanny success: Lewis, who has twice been named as the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year (2000 and 2003); Todd Heap, at 31 in 2001, has been to 2 Pro Bowls; and Ed Reed, the 24th pick in ’02, has gone to Hawaii 3 times and earned the NFL’s MVP of defense in ’04…At the start of the 2006 campaign, the Ravens had drafted (since 1999) the highest percentage (74.2) of players on NFL rosters, and they also boasted the 2nd-highest percentage of players drafted on their own roster. In 5 consecutive drafts (2000-2004), the Ravens are the only NFL team to select more than 2 Pro Bowlers in the 1st round (Jamal Lewis, Heap, Reed and Terrell Suggs)...Reed and Heap are the only players in that span who were picked in the bottom 3rd of the 1st round to go to the Pro Bowl…In the 1st 11 years of Ravens’ history, Newsome and his staff have drafted 10 players who have been selected to go to Hawaii...In 2002, Newsome also signed rookie free agent LB Bart Scott, who earned his 1st Pro Bowl in 2006...With that, Baltimore has produced 11 home-grown Pro Bowl players over 11 seasons...Noted Don Banks of SI.com: “The Ravens are the NFL’s gold standard on draft day, consistently making choices that stand the test of time.”

FREE AGENT SIGNINGS: Not only have Newsome’s drafts been productive, but free agent signings have proven to be masterful…One of the NFL’s all-time greats, former CB/S Rod Woodson, made the Pro Bowl 3 seasons (1999-2001)…DE Michael McCrary earned Pro Bowl accolades twice…Along with adding Pro Bowl TE Shannon Sharpe, Newsome recruited and signed DT Sam Adams, who produced 2 Pro Bowl years as a Raven (2000-01)…In 2006, Newsome traded for QB Steve McNair (who went on to garner his 4th Pro Bowl honor) and signed DE Trevor Pryce (who led the Ravens with 13 sacks) en route to Baltimore’s franchise-best 13-3 campaign...“We’ve been able to recruit and sign veterans who helped us win a Super Bowl and kept us competitive in other seasons,” Newsome said.

2007: The Ravens bolstered their offense in the offseason by trading 2 2007 picks and a 2008 draft choice to Buffalo for RB Willis McGahee, one of the NFL’s top young talents...On defense, they extended NT Kelly Gregg’s contract 4 years and re-signed OLB Jarret Johnson to a 3-year deal...Drafting for the 12th time in team history, Newsome and his staff compiled a class made up of 5 offensive and 2 defensive players...With their 1st 3 picks, the Ravens tabbed Auburn G Ben Grubbs in the opening round (29th overall) and used 3rd-round picks on Kansas State WR/RS Yamon Figurs (74th overall) and Iowa G/T Marshal Yanda (86th overall)...Each of these players earned “red star” designations, meaning they were unanimously considered “prototypical Ravens” by every member of the personnel staff. “These guys have a temperament and countenance we want: toughness, high character and intelligence, leadership and competitiveness,” said director of college scouting Eric DeCosta...Along with Grubbs, Baltimore also drafted another player considered to be the top prospect at his position by taking Alabama FB Le’Ron McClain (4th round)...Additionally, the Ravens selected OLB Antwan Barnes (4th round, Florida International), Heisman Trophy winner QB Troy Smith (5th round, Ohio State) and ILB Prescott Burgess (6th round, Michigan).

2006: Baltimore produced the best record in franchise history with a 13-3 mark...Thanks to key offseason free agent additions like 2003 NFL co-MVP QB Steve McNair, 4-time Pro Bowl DE Trevor Pryce and Pro Bowl special teamer Gary Stills, the Ravens improved in all 3 phases of the game...Additionally, the Ravens had 5 rookie draft picks start at least 1 contest, including 1st-rounder Haloti Ngata (16 games) and 5th-round pick Dawan Landry (14 games)...Both Ngata and Landry earned PFW/PFWA All-Rookie Team honors and were integral pieces of Baltimore’s No. 1-ranked defense...The Ravens produced 8 Pro Bowl players: LB Ray Lewis (8th), CB Chris McAlister (3rd), McNair (4th), T Jonathan Ogden (10th), S Ed Reed (3rd), LB Bart Scott (1st), LB Terrell Suggs (2nd) and LB Adalius Thomas (2nd)...TE Todd Heap, Stills and K Matt Stover all received 1st-alternate Hawaiian nods...The top-ranked Baltimore defense finished 1st in nearly every NFL statistical category: points allowed (201, 12.6 per game), total yards allowed (264.1), red zone defense (33.3% TDs allowed), 3rd downs converted (28.8%), takeaway/giveaway ratio (+17) and INTs (28, with 5 for TDs)...Averaging 24.3 points and 344.2 total yards per contest with Brian Billick calling plays in the final 10 games, the offense set several franchise season records: fewest sacks allowed (17), completion percentage (62.6%), fewest turnovers (23, tied with 2004) and 3rd-down conversions (96)...On special teams, Stover hit 28 of 30 FGs (.933% led NFL), rookie P Sam Koch placed 12 punts inside the 10 (2nd most in the league) and Stills posted an NFL-best 44 special teams stops...After the Ravens’ 27-26 win at Tennessee, keyed by McNair’s 376-yard, 3-TD effort and Pryce’s game-clinching FG block, Newsome was awarded the game ball for his efforts in building the 2006 team.

2005: A disappointing season ended with a 6-10 record, but gave way to hope with 2 late-season victories (48-3 vs. GB on 12/19 and 30-23 vs. Min. on 12/25), plus a 16-13 OT triumph vs. the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers (11/20)…The Ravens lost 67 starting players to injuries, which were 3rd most in the NFL…Pro Bowlers WR Derrick Mason and CB Samari Rolle, along with LB Tommy Polley and G Keydrick Vincent, were added for the 2005 campaign…Ogden made his 9th-straight Pro Bowl appearance…TE Todd Heap set career-franchise marks for catches (243) and receiving yards (2,893)…First-round draft choice WR Mark Clayton set rookie records with single-season franchise highs in catches (44) and yards (471)…Mason set a team mark with 85 catches…On defense, the top 3 performers were Pro Bowler Adalius Thomas (9 sacks, and a team-high 3 defensive TDs) and Polley and Scott, who had 134 and 119 tackles, respectively.

2004: Baltimore, with key starters missing a total of 53 games, fell 1 game short of the playoffs, finishing with a 9-7 mark…First-round pick went to New England as part of ’03 trade for spot to draft QB Kyle Boller…Five of the 7 draft choices saw action, including 2nd-rounder DT Dwan Edwards, WR Devard Darling (3rd), OLB Rod Green (5th), WR Clarence Moore (6th) and G Brian Rimpf (7th)…QB Josh Harris (6th) was signed off the practice squad by the Browns and RS Derek Abney (7th) missed the season with a shoulder injury…S Ed Reed, the Ravens’ 1st pick in 2002, was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year…Reed, Ray Lewis, Chris McAlister, Ogden and Suggs all made the Pro Bowl…In June of 2004, the Pro Football Writers Association honored Ozzie with the Joe Horrigan Award for his cooperation and understanding of the media.

2003: Ravens won their 1st-ever division title with a 10-6 record; Baltimore hosted the Titans in the Wild Card, but lost 20-17…Ravens sent 8 draft picks to the Pro Bowl, including LB Adalius Thomas (6th in 2000)…In the draft, Newsome and his staff picked LB Terrell Suggs (1a, 10th overall), who posted a Ravens’ rookie-record 12 sacks and earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors…Rookie QB Kyle Boller (1b, 19th overall) started and finished the 1st 8 games of the season, leading the Ravens to a 5-3 mark. (Boller was injured in the 2nd quarter of the 9th game)…Ravens selected Boller with NE’s 1st pick (19th) in 2003.

2002: Newsome and his staff assembled the youngest team in NFL history…Most observers predicted the Ravens would win 2 to 4 games, but Baltimore entered game 15 with a 7-7 mark and a chance to be the AFC’s top Wild Card playoff team…Two last-minute losses to Cleveland (14-13) and at Pittsburgh (34-31) gave the Ravens a 7-9 mark…That year’s draft produced 2 immediate starters (Reed and DE Anthony Weaver) and a standout returner in Lamont Brightful…Reed led the Ravens with 5 INTs and made every NFL All-Rookie team…Weaver was called the “best rookie defensive lineman I’ve seen,” by then-defensive coordinator Mike Nolan…Lamont Brightful set a team record with a 95-yard punt return while averaging 16.1 and 20.6 yards on PR and KOR, respectively…Two 6th-rounders, RB Chester Taylor and S Chad Williams, made contributions as rookies…Rookie free agent S Will Demps started 46 games in his 4 seasons (2002-05) with the Ravens.

2001: Picking late in each round after winning Super Bowl XXXV, Ozzie and his staff continued to draft well…The 1st 4 draft picks are current NFL standouts: TE Todd Heap (1) went to 2 Pro Bowls in 2002-03, after leading the Ravens in receiving for those 2 years…LB Ed Hartwell (4), now with Cin., and CB Gary Baxter (2), currently with Cle., were Baltimore’s top 2 tacklers in 2002…Hartwell (191 in ‘02) and Polley (134 in ‘05) were the only Ravens other than Ray Lewis (injured) to lead the team in tackles; C Casey Rabach (3), with Was., started every game for Baltimore in ‘04.

2000: The architects of the Ravens’ Super Bowl championship team, Newsome and his staff hit gold with the selection of RB Jamal Lewis (the team’s all-time leading rusher) with the 5th pick in the 1st round…As a rookie, Lewis set a Ravens’ team record with 1,364 rushing yards and added 1,327 rushing yards in 2002, his 2nd active season with the Ravens…In ‘03, Lewis was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year when he led the NFL in rushing with 2,066 yards (2nd-best in NFL history) and rushed for 500 yards in 2 games against Cle., the most yards against a single opponent in a season in NFL history…A 2nd 1st-round pick (10th), Travis Taylor, finished ‘04 as the then-leading receiver in Ravens history…Standout LB Adalius Thomas was a 6th-round selection in that draft…Thomas earned 2 Pro Bowls as a Raven (2003 and 2006)…Ozzie was voted NFL Executive of the Year.

1999: Continued his hot hand at drafting when he tabbed Arizona CB Chris McAlister with the 10th pick in the 1st round…McAlister became the next member of the Ravens’ defense to earn Pro Bowl honors, doing so in 2003…Newsome and his staff also picked 2 starters, LG Edwin Mulitalo and WR Brandon Stokley, in the 4th round of the draft…Stokley opened the scoring in SB XXXV with a 38-yard TD grab from QB Trent Dilfer.

1998: Coordinated the selections of CB Duane Starks and WR Patrick Johnson with the team’s 1st 2 picks…Starks tied for the NFL’s INT lead among rookies that year (equaling Charles Woodson’s 5)…Starks added 5 more thefts in his 2nd season and led the Ravens with 6 in 2000…Starks thrilled Ravens fans with a 49-yard INT for a TD against the Giants in the Super Bowl…Johnson caught the game-winning TD in the final minute of the Ravens’ 1st win at Tennessee in 2000.

1997: In his 2nd draft, Newsome picked 4-time Pro Bowler LB Peter Boulware and LB Jamie Sharper, S Kim Herring and C Jeff Mitchell – all 4 started against the Giants in the Super Bowl XXXV victory…Boulware, the Ravens’ all-time sacks leader, was consensus choice for Defensive Rookie of the Year and led the AFC in sacks in 2001 with 15.

1996: (with Baltimore) Art Modell invited Newsome to join him as the Ravens’ vice president of player personnel when he moved the franchise to Baltimore…Under Newsome’s direction, this draft produced 2 perennial Pro Bowlers in LT Jonathan Ogden and ILB Ray Lewis, who was MVP in Super Bowl XXXV and the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and 2003…Also making the Pro Bowl (twice) as a returner was Jermaine Lewis, a 5th-rounder in that draft.

1991-95: (with Cleveland) First position in the front office was as a special assignment scout…Two years later (‘93), he was promoted to a very comprehensive assignment – assistant to the head coach/offense/pro personnel. “I had to find out which direction my career would go,” Newsome explains. “Art gave me the opportunity to work with the coaches, and I enjoyed that. At the same time, I increased my experience with the personnel department and decided that’s where I wanted my career to head.”…In 1994, Newsome was named the Browns’ director of pro personnel…Al- though he continued to help on the field, Newsome provided detailed studies on other NFL players and recommended players the team should try to acquire.

NFL PLAYER: 1978-90: (with Cleveland) Newsome retired after 13 years as a premier NFL tight end…His 662 receptions for 7,980 yards are the 3rd most ever caught by a TE and the most in Browns history…Ozzie ended his career as the 4th-leading NFL receiver of all time…He earned 3 Pro Bowls (1981, 1984-85) and was a 4-time winner of the Cleveland Touchdown Club’s Offensive Player of the Year award (1978, 1981, 1983 and 1984)…His streak of 150 games in a row with a catch is the 2nd longest in NFL history…Winner of the 1990 Byron “Whizzer” White Award as the NFL’s top community volunteer…Newsome, who was named to the All-NFL team of the 1980’s (2nd team), consistently received All-AFC and All-NFL honors throughout his career…He was a 1978 No. 1 draft choice, along with Clay Matthews, and the 2 are among an elite group of Browns to play for 3 decades…The others are: Gene Hickerson (1958-60, 62-73), Dick Schafrath (1959-71) and Don Cockroft (1968-80)…Until Shannon Sharpe broke his records in 2001, Newsome’s pro career was the best of any TE in NFL history.

COLLEGE: Newsome graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in recreation administration…During his 4-year collegiate career, Oz caught 102 passes (2,070 career yards and 16 TDs) and helped his team win 3 SEC Championships…As a senior in 1977, he was named team captain, and SEC lineman of the year, as well as being an All-America selection…Was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

PERSONAL: Attended Colbert County (Leighton, AL) HS…Winner of the 1990 Byron “Whizzer” White Award as the NFL’s top community volunteer, he is widely known for his willingness to help those in need…In 2007, along with Tony Dungy, Herm Edwards and Lovie Smith, Newsome received the Fritz Pollard Alliance’s Johnnie Cochran Salute to Excellence Award, which honors African Americans in the NFL who make the biggest impact on the field and in the front office…Newsome also received the FPA’s Paul “Tank” Younger Award, acknowledging his dedication and achievement in building a successful organization...Newsome has gained induction into 4 halls of fame: the NFL’s Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH (1999), the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame (1994), the NCAA Hall of Fame (1994) and the State of Alabama Hall of Fame (1995)…On the wall of Newsome’s office is a sideline portrait of Ozzie’s mentor, Paul “Bear” Bryant, in his trademark houndstooth hat…“Coach [Bryant] helped me grow up. He pushed me further than I thought I could go, both on and off the field,” Newsome said...Ozzie, who works out every day (and sometimes puts in 2-a-days), is also an avid golfer...He says his dream foursome would include Bear Bryant, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and himself...Newsome’s wife, Gloria, and their son, Michael Ryan, live in Cockeysville, MD

PLAYER EXPERIENCE: 1978-1990 (Cleveland Browns)

QUOTES TO NOTE ON DRAFTING SUCCESS:

Newsome on Ravens Staff: “Our staff is the reason why we’ve had success. Our scouts are on the same page with the way we gather information, and most of us have been together since the Ravens started in 1996. We have a system in place that is time consuming and thorough. The staff works very hard. We’ve tweaked the process along the way, and our scouts are basically home grown. They grew up in our system. I think another strength of our room is that we respect and listen to each other. That’s how we believe you create the most success.”

Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News (2002): “I’m not so sure I wouldn’t start my franchise with Ozzie Newsome, the personnel whiz of the Ravens. In a salary-cap world, where rosters are overhauled every offseason, the guy in charge of finding the players may be the most important guy in any NFL building. The good talent evaluators allow you to compete. The real ones win you championships.”