Phil Savage
Encyclopedia
Phillip "Phil" Savage, Jr. (born April 7, 1965) is a former general manager for the Cleveland Browns
of the National Football League
. He is currently a player personnel executive for the Philadelphia Eagles
. He was the senior vice president and general manager of the Browns from 2005–2008. He served as Director of Player Personnel for the Baltimore Ravens
under General Manager Ozzie Newsome
, a former Browns' player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
, from 2003–2004. He was a scout for the Browns from 1993–1995.
(Sewanee, Tennessee
). He earned a bachelor's of arts in English and was a three-time all-conference shortstop
in baseball
. He received a master's degree in physical education
from the University of Alabama in 1989.
, UCLA
, and with the San Antonio Riders
of the World League
.
as an intern with the original Cleveland Browns in 1991. Savage was hired by the new Browns head coach Bill Belichick
as a coach and made the transition to scouting and personnel in 1994. During his first stint in Cleveland
, he worked with several talented young scouts and assistant coaches that Belichick had assembled, including Nick Saban
, Kirk Ferentz
, Pat Hill
, and Jim Bates.
and personnel evaluator with the Browns, eventually following Cleveland's former owner Art Modell
and the rest of the front office to Baltimore in 1995.
Savage then played an important role in the drafting of 10 Pro Bowl
players: tackle Jonathan Ogden
, linebacker Ray Lewis, receiver Jermaine Lewis
, linebacker Peter Boulware
, defensive back Chris McAlister
, running back Jamal Lewis
, linebacker Adalius Thomas
, tight end Todd Heap
, safety Ed Reed
and linebacker Terrell Suggs
.
on January 6, 2005. On December 30, 2005, reports surfaced that Savage was on the verge of being fired after less than one year on the job, an item that was quickly denied by Browns management. The speculation was based on a reported personality conflict between Savage and Browns team president John Collins. Four days after the organizational rift became public, it was Collins who resigned his post after losing the power struggle with Savage.
Savage stole the headlines in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft
as the Browns drafted Wisconsin
offensive tackle Joe Thomas with the third pick overall, and then acquired Notre Dame
quarterback
Brady Quinn
with the 22nd pick, acquired through a trade with the Dallas Cowboys
. The Browns gave up their 2007 second-round pick and 2008 first-round draft selection to Dallas for the chance to pick Quinn.
The Browns signed Savage to a three-year extension through 2012 on May 2, 2008. However, after a poor 2008 season
, Savage was fired on December 28, 2008.
. In June 2009, Savage was officially named part of the Crimson Tide Sports Network (CTSN).
as a player personnel consultant. In his role, Savage worked with general manager Howie Roseman
and director of player personnel Ryan Grigson
in preparation for the 2010 NFL Draft
, specifically in the evaluation of draft prospects in the southeast part of the country. He was re-hired during training camp. He is currently listed as Player Personnel Executive with the team.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He is currently a player personnel executive for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was the senior vice president and general manager of the Browns from 2005–2008. He served as Director of Player Personnel for the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
under General Manager Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome Jr. and a 1974 graduate of Colbert County High School in Leighton, Alabama, is a former American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the current General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens.-College career:Before his NFL career,...
, a former Browns' player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
, from 2003–2004. He was a scout for the Browns from 1993–1995.
Early years
Savage attended high school at Murphy (Mobile, Ala.) High School and played football and baseball at the University of the SouthSewanee, The University of the South
The University of the South is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by twenty-eight southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church and its School of Theology is an official seminary of the church. The university's School of Letters offers graduate...
(Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee is an unincorporated locality in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States, treated by the U.S. Census as a census-designated place . The population was 2,361 at the 2000 census...
). He earned a bachelor's of arts in English and was a three-time all-conference shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. He received a master's degree in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
from the University of Alabama in 1989.
College coaching career
Savage spent the first seven years of his career in the coaching ranks at AlabamaUniversity of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, and with the San Antonio Riders
San Antonio Riders
The San Antonio Riders were a professional American football team that played in the WLAF in 1991 and 1992. The team played in the Alamo Stadium in 1991 and then were forced to move to Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, 45 miles northeast of San...
of the World League
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
.
First stint with Browns
Savage began his career in the NFLNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
as an intern with the original Cleveland Browns in 1991. Savage was hired by the new Browns head coach Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
as a coach and made the transition to scouting and personnel in 1994. During his first stint in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, he worked with several talented young scouts and assistant coaches that Belichick had assembled, including Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
, Kirk Ferentz
Kirk Ferentz
Kirk James Ferentz is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since 1999. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the University of Maine. He has also served as an assistant coach...
, Pat Hill
Pat Hill
Pat Hill is a college football coach. He is currently the head coach at Fresno State.-Early positions:Pat Hill attended Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead, California, graduating in 1970...
, and Jim Bates.
Baltimore Ravens
Savage worked his way up the ladder in the front office as a scoutScout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
and personnel evaluator with the Browns, eventually following Cleveland's former owner Art Modell
Art Modell
Arthur B. Modell is an American businessman, entrepreneur and former National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise from 1961–1995 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996–2004. Modell is the grandson of the late Morris Modell who founded the northeast...
and the rest of the front office to Baltimore in 1995.
Savage then played an important role in the drafting of 10 Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
players: tackle Jonathan Ogden
Jonathan Ogden
Jonathan Phillip Ogden is a former American football offensive tackle who played for the Baltimore Ravens.-College:He received his education at St. Albans School, excelling not only in football but also in track and field...
, linebacker Ray Lewis, receiver Jermaine Lewis
Jermaine Lewis
Jermaine Edward Lewis is a retired American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, who he played for until 2001...
, linebacker Peter Boulware
Peter Boulware
Peter Nicholas Boulware , is a former American football linebacker who played his whole NFL career for the Baltimore Ravens. He was a Republican candidate for the Florida House of Representatives, District 9. His younger brother, Michael Boulware, a strong safety is currently a free agent.-Early...
, defensive back Chris McAlister
Chris McAlister
Christopher James McAlister is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona....
, running back Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lafitte Lewis is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens fifth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
, linebacker Adalius Thomas
Adalius Thomas
Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-Early years:...
, tight end Todd Heap
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State-Early years:At Mountain View High School, in Mesa, Arizona,...
, safety Ed Reed
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
and linebacker Terrell Suggs
Terrell Suggs
Terrell Raymonn Suggs is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens tenth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft after playing his college football at Arizona State....
.
Second stint with Browns
Savage was named Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on January 6, 2005. On December 30, 2005, reports surfaced that Savage was on the verge of being fired after less than one year on the job, an item that was quickly denied by Browns management. The speculation was based on a reported personality conflict between Savage and Browns team president John Collins. Four days after the organizational rift became public, it was Collins who resigned his post after losing the power struggle with Savage.
Savage stole the headlines in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
as the Browns drafted Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
offensive tackle Joe Thomas with the third pick overall, and then acquired Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Brady Quinn
Brady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Quinn was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early Years:Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn was born on...
with the 22nd pick, acquired through a trade with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. The Browns gave up their 2007 second-round pick and 2008 first-round draft selection to Dallas for the chance to pick Quinn.
The Browns signed Savage to a three-year extension through 2012 on May 2, 2008. However, after a poor 2008 season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, Savage was fired on December 28, 2008.
Crimson Tide Sports Network
In April 2009, with Savage no longer in the NFL, he was asked to provide color commentary for the University of Alabama A-Day game along with Eli Gold. Savage voiced an interest in the open position left vacant by Ken StablerKen Stabler
Kenneth "Kenny" Michael Stabler , is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders , the Houston Oilers , and the New Orleans Saints...
. In June 2009, Savage was officially named part of the Crimson Tide Sports Network (CTSN).
Philadelphia Eagles
On February 4, 2010, Savage was hired by the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a player personnel consultant. In his role, Savage worked with general manager Howie Roseman
Howie Roseman
Howard "Howie" Roseman is the general manager for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. , Roseman is the youngest general manager in the NFL.-Early years:...
and director of player personnel Ryan Grigson
Ryan Grigson
Ryan Grigson is the director of player personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He played college football as a tight end and offensive tackle for the Purdue Boilermaker. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft...
in preparation for the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
, specifically in the evaluation of draft prospects in the southeast part of the country. He was re-hired during training camp. He is currently listed as Player Personnel Executive with the team.