It would be harder to find a skills player that more embodied Alabama under Paul Bryant than Ozzie Newsome.
The Wizard of Oz was tough — he started all four seasons at Alabama and didn’t miss a game in his 198-game, 13-year Hall of Fame pro career. He was a hard-working local guy — a farm kid from Colbert County who juggled school, working in the fields, being a three-sport star, and working at his dad’s restaurant before and after school.
He was versatile: He had the size of a tight end and the skills of a wide receiver.