Many people like to boast that they work “24/7.” Adam Neuman, an Orthodox Jew who observes Shabbat, said he lets people know he works “24/6.”
Neuman, 33 – whose recent hiring by the Baltimore Ravens to be chief of staff and special adviser to President Sashi Brown was announced on Friday, July 7 – told The Jewish Press that having a job with the NFL was a dream he had, but working for the team he loved and cheered for while growing up in Baltimore is icing on the cake.
“I grew up rooting for the Ravens and the Orioles,” Neuman said, adding that one of his favorite Ravens is safety Ed Reed. Reed was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019 and had a franchise record of 61 interceptions, seven of which he returned for touchdowns.
“I had his jersey framed in my office, so this is even sweeter to work in my home city for my home team,” he said. “I definitely have a higher sense of gratitude. Being Orthodox in a fast-paced environment has its challenges. Being up-front with people is important and I always was. I would let them know I work ‘24/6.’ But they’d see I would be the hardest one working in the building, even if it meant long hours or working on Saturday nights and Sundays.”
While kashrut was not a problem while in New York City, there were times when he had to get some help while working in college football, which required frequent travel.
“With my job with the Big Ten, there were times I had kosher food shipped to me from Brooklyn to Nebraska,” Neuman said, adding that it often came from Pomegranate Supermarket.
Neuman said that growing up, he would talk about wanting to work for a pro sports team and possibly the Ravens, and some laughed and figured he would grow out of it.
He said he categorized it as a “dream chuckle.”
“I learned that if people laugh and say what you want to achieve is outrageous, that might be a sign you are doing the right thing. I was definitely met with some discouraging looks or shrugs when I told people my goals.”
He cited Kevin Warren as one of his main mentors who taught him invaluable lessons, including how to be ambitious while caring about the well-being of others. Warren was Neuman’s boss and the Commissioner of the Big Ten, when Neuman was the Big Ten’s chief of staff, strategy and operations, and deputy general counsel. In January, Warren became the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Bears. Neuman said after working for several years at one of college football’s most storied conferences, it was time to explore the opportunity of a job as part of professional football.
“The Shield is one of the biggest brands in the world and it’s a great honor to work as a part of it,” Neuman said, using a nickname for the NFL that is based on the shape of its logo.
Neuman said his time at Yeshiva University, in which he worked with President Emeritus Richard Joel and was student body president, helped him hone his leadership skills. He graduated in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
He said he met YU trustee and Minnesota Vikings co-owner and President Mark Wilf at a YU board of trustees meeting who first connected him to Warren, who at the time was Chief Operations Officer of the Vikings. Neuman would go on to intern for the Vikings, get a master’s degree in public administration and then a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He left his job at Simpson Thacher Bartlett LLP to work for the Big Ten.
Another bonus of his job with the Ravens, Neuman said, is that he believes the team has the ability to beat anyone.
“This is a franchise that knows what it’s doing,” Neuman said. “The Ravens have won two Super Bowls. It’s a winning culture.”
The Ravens beat The New York Giants 34-7 to win the Super Bowl in 2001 and beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 to win the Super Bowl in 2013.
He cited general manager Eric DeCosta, 2019 Coach of The Year, John Harbaugh, and President Sashi Brown as people who have the intelligence, knowledge and instincts needed to succeed in such a competitive league.
There was much speculation and rumor about the fate of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who unanimously won the Most Valuable Player award in 2019 when he threw for 36 touchdowns, 3,127 passing yards, and a staggering 1,206 rushing yards. Some thought he might not re-sign, but in May the Ravens inked Jackson to a five-year $260 million dollar deal, making him the highest paid player in NFL history.
The Ravens finished 10-7 last season, second in the AFC North to the Cincinnati Bengals, who defeated them in a heartbreaking 24-17 wild card game determined on a record fumble run back for a touchdown. Jackson did not play in the game, due to injury, The Ravens boast Mark Andrews, one of the top tight ends in the NFL. With the team’s biggest hole believed to be at wide receiver, the Ravens bolstered that position by drafting Zay Flowers with the 22nd pick in the NFL draft. The team also signed former Giants star Odell Beckham Jr. who if healthy provides Jackson with another threat.
While Neuman can likely memorize stats, he can also memorize the vowels and taamim, or cantillation notes, required to read from the Torah.
“I really love leining,” he said, using the term for reading/chanting the weekly Torah portion. His bar mitzvah parsha was Beha’alotcha, he said.
He attended Yeshivat Rambam in Baltimore and said his synagogue’s leader, Rabbi Binyamin Marwick, of Congregation Shomrei Emunah, has inspired him. “We are very proud of him,” Rabbi Marwick said. “The community of Baltimore is excited to have him back. He is a talented and community minded person.”
A member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Glass Leadership Institute, Neuman said that on a few occasions he has experienced antisemitism.
“There were some comments, but never from colleagues,” Neuman said.
He said his favorite Oriole of all time is Frank Robinson, who hit 586 home runs, 2,943 hits 1,812 RBI’s and was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. Robinson managed several teams, including the Orioles from 1988-1991 and passed away in 2019.
“He was the first African American manager, and he had great talent and determination.”
When it came to popping the question, Neuman combined his love of sports with his romantic nature in Manhattan.
“I proposed to my wife on a tennis court at Grand Central (Station)” he said. “Most people don’t know it exists.”
