GULF SHORES—Ozzie Newsome, General Manager & Executive VP for the Baltimore Ravens is scheduled to speak at the Jan. 21, 2014 meeting of the Gulf Coast Athletic Club in Gulf Shores. The meeting takes place at the Craft Farms Clubhouse, starting at 6 pm. Newsome played for the University of Alabama, where he started for all 4 years of his college career.  

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. In total, Newsome amassed 102 receptions for 2,070 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. His 20.3 average yards per catch was a Southeast Conference record for over 20 years.

Newsome was named the Alabama Player of the Decade for the 1970s. 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, He was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 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."

Newsome was the 23rd pick in the 1978 NFL Draft for the Cleveland Browns.  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. He went to the Pro Bowl in 1981, 1984 and 1985. In 1984, he 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).  

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. He did not miss a game in his 13-year NFL career, playing in 198 consecutive games as a Brown with 191 starts.  He finished his career with 662 receptions and 7,980 yards, both Cleveland franchise records, and 47 touchdowns, fourth all-time.

In 1999 Ozzie Newsome was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On November 22, 2002, he was named general manager of the Baltimore Ravens, making him the first African-American to occupy that position in the NFL. He had previously been a Front Office Executive since 1991 with the Browns.

Newsome earned his first Super Bowl ring when the Ravens defeated the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV, and earned a second ring after the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII 34-31.

In 2003, Newsome received the United States Sports Academy's highest honor, the Eagle Award, in recognition of his significant contributions to international sport. He is also a member of the Cleveland Browns' "Ring of Honor", becoming a member of the first class inducted on Sep