During his playing career, Ozzie Newsome became one of the best tight ends in NFL history; he’s one of only seven tight ends enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Since his career ended, Newsome has become one of the best personnel guys in the business, winning a Super Bowl as the V.P. of player personnel in Baltimore and thereafter becoming the league’s first African-American General Manager. It seems like he’s been around forever, but he’s still only 53.
This year’s winner is a guy who played his college football not far from the team Newsome runs. Vernon Davis of the 49ers, a former Maryland Terrapin, avoided the bust label by breaking out in his fourth NFL season, with a career high in receptions (78), yards (965), and touchdowns (13).
That Baker’s Dozen of six-pointers tied an NFL record, and that was more than enough to put him above and beyond the rest of the field of finalists -- Jason Witten of the Cowboys, Dallas Clark of the Colts, Visanthe Shiancoe of the Vikings, and Jeremy Shockey of the Saints.
We also owe an apology to Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, who had a great year and should have been one of the finalists. But Davis is the guy, with or without Gates in the pool of finalists.