Ozzie Newsome, the NFL`s all-time reception leader among tight ends, retired as a player Friday and tok a job as a special-assignment scout for the Cleveland Browns.
Newsome played 13 seasons for the Browns and caught 662 passes, which ranks fourth on the career list among all receivers.
”This closes one door and opens up another,” Newsome said. ”That brings enthusiasm and a lot more optimism about my life. It`s my decision to step away from the game. Not many athletes get that opportunity.”
A first-round draft choice from Alabama in 1978, Newsome had planned to retire after the 1989 season but was coaxed back for one more season by then- offensive coordinator Jim Shofner.
In 1990, Newsome caught 23 passes for 240 yards and two TDs. He was second in the NFL in receptions in 1983 and `84, with 89 catches each season. Newsome went to the Pro Bowl after the 1981, `84 and `85 seasons. His streak of 150 straight games with at least one catch was the second longest in league history.
