OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Ozzie Newsome became the first black general manager in NFL history Monday, signing a new five-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens that includes an upgrade in his title.

Newsome becomes the Ravens GM and executive vice president. He formerly held the title of senior vice president of football operations.

"From a historical standpoint, this is very significant,'' Newsome said. "I'm the only black general manager in the National Football League. Growing up in the South, there were a lot of times when I was one of the first. I was one of the first blacks to play Little League baseball.

"Sometimes it's all about the right timing.''

Newsome was already responsible for most of the chores associated with being a general manager, and other NFL teams have had blacks in the similar role of vice president of player personnel. But Newsome is the first to hold the title of general manager.

"The new title reflects his duties and importance to the franchise,'' Ravens owner Art Modell said. "It will broaden his scope into more of a GM role.''

Even before the promotion, Newsome was the highest-ranking black official on an NFL team. He said his new job has nothing to do with a September news conference in which attorney Johnnie Cochran called for the league to hire more minority head coaches.

"This is not a knee-jerk reaction to the press conference in Baltimore,'' Newsome insisted.

Rather, it was about rewarding a job well done.

"He was the architect of our Super Bowl team of two years ago, and he's the mastermind behind the transition we are undergoing right now,'' Modell said. "This new title and contract salutes what he does for the organization, and should assure fans that the team is in good hands for the future.''

Newsome was named the NFL executive of the year in 2000, when the Ravens stunned the football world with their march to the Super Bowl title. He was responsible for several successful drafts and was the force behind the acquisition of free agents Michael McCrary, Sam Adams, Shannon Sharpe and safety Rod Woodson -- all key components of the championship team.

The 46-year-old Newsome enjoyed a spectacular career as a tight end with the Cleveland Browns and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999. After the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1996, he was named the vice president of player personnel, a position upgraded to senior vice president of football operations in 2001.

His latest promotion comes in the midst of the Ravens' unexpected success this year. A salary-cap purge during the past offseason forced Baltimore to unload more than a dozen veterans and forced the team into a rebuilding mode.

But the Ravens are 5-6 and just 1{ games out of first place in the AFC North, a testament to the solid relationship between Newsome and head coach Brian Billick.

"Ozzie is the composer, and Brian is the conductor,'' Modell declared.

Billick, who recently signed a new four-year contract, said of Newsome's promotion, "I couldn't be more excited, personally or professionally. What Ozzie and I have is genuinely unique. If I can finish my career here in this type of relationship with Ozzie, I will consider myself lucky.''