AS A STAR tight end for the Cleveland Browns, Ozzie Newsome redefined the position. Great hands, it was said about him. But the Hall of Famer had something else, a focus more cerebral than physical. He carried that focus into the personnel offices of the Baltimore Ravens, building a Super Bowl championship team with relative unknowns and under tight fiscal constraints. Now, as the team's new general manager, fans can expect the same level of skill, professionalism and passion from Mr. Newsome.
Ravens owner Art Modell made the right choice when he tapped Mr. Newsome for this high-profile front-office job -- and for the right reason. Ozzie Newsome earned it. His talent, hard work and self-effacing manner made him the right choice. Mr. Newsome is the first black general manager in the National Football League, joining six other African-Americans in executive positions in Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. This may be a first for the NFL, but it is yet another first for the 46-year-old who was the only black child in his sixth-grade class in Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Despite the preponderance of African-American athletes in professional sports, their presence in front offices is paltry. The same is true of college sports. That's why the Ravens appointment of Mr. Newsome is front-page news. But his selection goes beyond symbolism. It should signal to others in the professional sports arena the importance of recognizing talent, providing opportunities for the talented to excel (on and off the field) and nurturing them along the way.
Mr. Modell recognized Mr. Newsome's abilities when he decided in 1978 to make him a first-round draft pick for his then-Cleveland Browns team. At the time, Mr. Newsome was a wide receiver at the University of Alabama, where he had played for the renowned Bear Bryant. Then, he was known as "the Wizard of Oz," a nickname bestowed on him by Coach Bryant. Mr. Newsome learned the importance of teamwork from his venerable coach, but more important, he has said, he learned "to always show your class."
One of five children of a restaurant owner and a domestic worker, Mr. Newsome learned the importance of showing up and doing a good job from his parents. With 662 catches during his career in Cleveland, he retired as the NFL's all-time leading receiver at tight end, but this is the accomplishment he often mentions: He never missed a game with the Browns, 198 in all.
The Ravens are in good hands, and professional sports are the better for it.