Miami general manager Alonzo Highsmith expected to leave for front office job with New England Patriots

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The New England Patriots are expected to hire Miami general manager Alonzo Highsmith to their front office staff, according to 247Sports and multiple reports. Highsmith, who played fullback for the Hurricanes under legendary coach Jimmy Johnson, spent the last two seasons with his alma mater and played a pivotal role in the program’s day-to-day operations. 

He worked closely with coach Mario Cristobal, who hired Highsmith five months into his tenure with the Hurricanes. Among other things, he helped Miami with transfer portal evaluations and roster management. 

Highsmith spent a decade in various front office roles around the league prior to his stint with Miami. From 2012-17, he was a senior personnel executive with the Green Bay Packers. He parlayed that into a role as the vice president of player personnel with the Cleveland Browns in 2018 and worked in the Seattle Seahawks’ personnel department from 2020-22. 

Prior to breaking into the front office sphere, Highsmith enjoyed an illustrious playing career with the Hurricanes and was a key figure during their Golden Era in the 1980s. He won a national championship with Miami as a true freshman in 1983 and was part of three teams that won at least 10 games. He finished his four-year career with 1,914 yards rushing (which ranks second in program history) and 25 career touchdowns (tied for first in Miami’s record books). 

He was selected by the Houston Oilers with the third overall pick in the 1987 NFL Draft and spent seven years in the league. He was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.