March 16, 1956

Professional football player Ozzie Newsome Jr. was born in Muscle Shoals. Nicknamed “”The Wizard of Oz,” Newsome played tight end at the University of Alabama from 1974 to 1977 and caught a total of 102 passes for 2,070 yards and 16 touchdowns as the school compiled a 42-6 record and won three SEC championships. He was drafted 23^rd overall in the 1978 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns and became one of the leading NFL tight ends and the fourth all-time leading receiver when he retired in 1990. Newsome later became the first African-American general manager of an NFL franchise. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Muscle Shoals native Ozzie Newsome led the University of Alabama football team to a record of 42 wins and 6 losses during his four years with the program. He went on to play for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League from 1978-90 and currently is general manager of the Baltimore Ravens. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Paul W. Bryant Museum, University of Alabama)

Muscle Shoals native Ozzie Newsome Jr. (1956- ) speaks to a crowd in Daphne, Baldwin County, after being honored with the Eagle Award by the U.S. Sports Academy in June 2003. Newsome was a University of Alabama Crimson Tide standout and went on to a celebrated National Football League career as a player and executive. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of The Mobile Press-Register)

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