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Brady HendersonESPN
Seattle Seahawks scouting executive Alonzo Highsmith has accepted a football position at his alma mater, the University of Miami.
The school announced Thursday that Highsmith has been hired as the Hurricanes‘ general manager of football operations.
A Miami native, Highsmith returns to the program he starred for as a fullback from 1983 to 1986. A member of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame, Highsmith finished his college career with 2,935 all-purpose yards and 25 touchdowns, one coming in the 1984 Orange Bowl victory over Nebraska that earned Miami the 1983 national championship.
“Alonzo is a true Miami Hurricane,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said in a statement released by the school. “He understands the commitment and sacrifice it takes to be a champion on and off the field. His tremendous passion for the University of Miami and this city is unparalleled.
“Alonzo brings experience as a student-athlete, a first-round NFL draft pick and an NFL executive. He shares our vision for the trajectory and the culture of this football program, and his knowledge and experience will allow him to make a positive and powerful impact on our program and community. I am fired up to welcome home another Miami Hurricane!”
Highsmith, 57, was drafted third overall by the Houston Oilers in 1987 and also played for the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a six-year NFL career.
Highsmith spent the past two years in the Seahawks’ front office, most recently holding the title of senior executive advisor to the general manager. He was the Cleveland Browns‘ vice president of player personnel from 2018 to 2019 and previously spent 19 seasons in the Green Bay Packers‘ scouting department, where he worked closely with current Seahawks GM John Schneider.
“It is an honor to come back to the University of Miami and I am very humbled,” Highsmith said in the statement. “The opportunity to work with Mario Cristobal and [athletic director] Dan Radakovich, as well as my passion and love for the city of Miami is what brought me back. I could not pass up this opportunity and this challenge.”
Highsmith becomes the latest high-ranking scout to leave Seattle’s front office in recent seasons. The others are Carolina Panthers GM Scott Fitterer, Panthers assistant GM Dan Morgan (who initially left for the Buffalo Bills) and Indianapolis Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds.
