Part 1: Recruiting afterthought
(NFLDraftScout.com will follow Aaron Curry's road to the NFL from the combine to his pro day workout to the '09 draft in April. This is the second in a four-part series.)
If Aaron Curry's road to the NFL reads like a Hollywood script, he has certainly taken to his role as a movie star.
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| A big-play guy at Wake Forest, Aaron Curry now looks like a top-three pick in the draft. (Getty Images) |
And he has barely had a moment to take a breath since the workouts in Indianapolis.
After a brief stop in Charlotte to see his girlfriend, Jamila, and to catch up with friends and family, Curry was back at Athletes Performance Institute in Tempe, Ariz., to continue working out in preparation for his pro day and upcoming private workouts with teams.
He has already scheduled workouts with the Seattle Seahawks (March 26) and Cleveland Browns (March 28), with several more teams looking to schedule him soon.
The Seahawks pick fourth and the Browns fifth overall, and every team in the top five has or is soon to be devoting extraordinary time in scouting Curry.
The bar has been placed extremely high following his workout in Indianapolis, where Curry finished first among linebackers in four of the six drills tested -- the 40-yard dash (4.56 seconds), vertical jump (37 inches), broad jump (10 feet, 4 inches) and 60-yard shuttle (11.35 seconds).
The athleticism he showed at the combine and throughout his career at Wake Forest is why most feel he'll remain at outside linebacker in the NFL. Though he wasn't used as a pass rusher by the Demon Deacons, Curry has the explosive first step and natural pass-rush skills to warrant development in this area. He'll always be a few inches shorter than a typical outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme, but it isn't a concern for Curry.
"Whatever position they want me to play, I'll play," Curry said. "That is a decision for the head coach, defensive coordinator and linebacker coach. I plan on learning every linebacker spot anyway, just like I did under (Wake Forest defensive coordinator Brad) Lambert."
Moving Curry inside -- as some have suggested the Chiefs might do if they draft Curry with the third overall pick -- may rob him of the space in which he's most effective. And as Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome pointed out at the combine, inside linebackers simply don't hold the value of other positions.
"It's the same reason why centers don't go high, or offensive guards don't go high," Newsome said. "Unless you're a special tight end, you don't go high. We put the premium on quarterbacks, corners, left tackles and pass rushers. For the most part, those are the guys that are going to come off the board early."
While he doesn't fit the prototype for the 3-4 rush linebacker position, there is no denying Curry's talents. Some argue Curry may not even make it to Kansas City because Detroit has entertained the idea of taking Curry with the first pick.
General manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz were among a group of the Lions' top brass who dined with Curry at the combine. Their interest was sincere enough that Curry was among the 60 formal interviews Detroit was allowed at the combine. Being one of 60 interviews doesn't sound impressive, but many teams use these interviews as a chance to get to know the lower-round prospects, not just the high-profile players.
"Sitting down with the Lions was good," Curry said. "During the formal interview we talked about scheme. They told me they thought I'd fit in well in their scheme.
"It is a special feeling just to be spoke of as a possibility for the No. 1 overall pick. There hasn't been a linebacker taken there in over 20 years. I think if I were fortunate enough to be the first pick, I think I'd be starting the revolution. Detroit would be making the statement by taking a linebacker No. 1 that he's good enough. I think that maybe that could start the trend that maybe linebackers could be more popular and recognized as more valuable in the NFL Draft."
If Detroit ultimately goes in another direction with the top pick, Curry might not have to wait for the Chiefs with the third pick.
New Rams general manager Billy Devaney gushed about Curry in a recent article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Curry was the first guy we put (tape) on, and we were like, 'Wow! This guy is special,'" Devaney said. "He is really good on tape. And then we started talking about the intangibles, and to a man, everybody said he's top of the line."
Curry's intangibles are impressive, especially considering the tough experiences he had growing up.
"I came home from college and my mom was telling me that we were being evicted and we didn't have anywhere to stay," Curry said at the combine. "At that point, we didn't have the funds to get into another house and those are the moments that you think about in the fourth quarter when there's a play that needs to be made and you know have the opportunity to provide for your family for the rest of their lives."
The willingness to help others does not end with just his family.
"I know for sure, seeing as that I grew up in one, that I want work with some charities that cater to single-parent homes," he said.
Curry appears set to back up his words sooner than later.
"I'm hoping that I get invited to New York (for the draft), so that I can bring a kid with me, so that he can experience it with me," he said. "That's just the one thing I'd like to do. I have dreams to use my image as an NFL player to do more in the community than I did in college."
Rob Rang is a Senior Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.
