Aaron Curry (American football)

Aaron Curry (born April 6, 1986) is an American college football coach and former linebacker who is the inside linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).[1] Curry was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round (fourth overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft out of Wake Forest. Curry also played for the Oakland Raiders in 2011 and 2012.

Aaron Curry
refer to caption
Aaron Curry signing autographs in June 2009.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Position:Inside linebackers coach
Personal information
Born: (1986-04-06) April 6, 1986
Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school:E. E. Smith
(Fayetteville, North Carolina)
College:Wake Forest (2005–2008)
NFL Draft:2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:244
Sacks:5.5
Forced fumbles:4
Fumble recoveries:4
Defensive touchdowns:2
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years

Curry attended E. E. Smith High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina. While there he played linebacker and tight end. He earned all-conference and all-region honors and was the conference’s defensive player of the year as a senior after recording 123 tackles. He was also selected to the North Carolina–South Carolina Shrine Bowl as a tight end.

Considered only a two-star recruit by both Rivals and Scout.com,[2][3] Curry chose to play college football at Wake Forest over East Carolina,[4] the only two scholarships he was offered.[5] Curry said he chose Wake Forest in part because it was two hours from home, but mostly for revenge. "Anybody who passed me up, I was going to punish them. That's why I chose the ACC, [because] those schools like Carolina, Duke, and North Carolina State were right around the corner, and I wasn't wanted by any of them."[5]

College career

He played an on-the-ball 'Sam' linebacker [at Wake Forest], which not a lot of people play anymore. You have to be really strong. But they also put him out in space ... almost like a nickel back. Those are two almost mutually exclusive skill sets.

— Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz on Curry.[6]

As a freshman in 2005 he started 10 of 11 games and was the team's fifth leading tackler with 39. After his great season he was named second-team Freshman All-American and ACC All-Freshman Team by the Sporting News. As a sophomore in 2006 he started all 14 games at outside linebacker, finishing second on the team in tackles with 83. Curry's breakout season came as a junior in 2007. During the season, he tied the NCAA record for the most interception returns for touchdown in a season by a linebacker with three.[7] He also broke the school record with 226 interception return yards. He finished the season second on the team and 13th in the ACC in tackles with 99, and earned Second-team All-ACC honors and second-team All-America honors from CollegeSportsReport.com. Curry seriously considered entering the 2008 NFL Draft to provide for his family, but later chose to return.[8]

In his senior season, he had 105 tackles, including 16 for a loss, and was the winner of the Butkus Award. Curry was also selected an All-American by ESPN, Pro Football Weekly, and Sports Illustrated.

Curry graduated in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in sociology.[5]

Awards and honors

Playing career

2009 NFL Draft

Curry was widely believed to be the best linebacker available in the 2009 NFL Draft.[9] Considered a "safe pick", he was even in the debate for the No. 1 pick overall[10]—which would've made him the first linebacker selected first overall since Aundray Bruce in 1988. ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. compared Curry to Keith Bulluck.[11]

Curry was drafted in the first round with the fourth overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2009 NFL Draft.[12] He was the highest drafted linebacker since LaVar Arrington went second overall in the 2000 NFL Draft to the Washington Redskins, and the highest Wake Forest Demon Deacon since Norm Snead went second overall to the Washington Redskins in the 1961 NFL Draft.[13]

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeight40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench pressWonderlic
6 1+5⁄8 254 lb
(115 kg)		 4.56 s1.50 s58 s4.51 s7.15 s37 in
(0.94 m)		10 ft 4 in
(3.15 m)		25 reps26
All values from NFL Combine[14][15][16]

Seattle Seahawks

On August 8, 2009, Curry signed a six-year, $60 million contract including $34 million guaranteed,[17] the most money ever guaranteed to a non-quarterback rookie in NFL history.[18]

Curry became the starting strongside linebacker for the Seahawks immediately. In his first career game against the St. Louis Rams he recorded four tackles. He recorded his first career sack against Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler in week 3.

In 2009, Curry recorded 61 tackles and 2 sacks, and in 2010, he compiled 73 tackles and 3.5 sacks. In 2011, he lost his starting position to rookie K. J. Wright after just two starts. Since he failed to meet the expectations of a high draft pick, Curry is widely considered to be a draft bust.[19][20][21]

Oakland Raiders

Curry was traded to the Oakland Raiders on October 12, 2011,[22] in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional pick in 2013, a salary dump. On November 16, 2012, Curry was fined $23,625 for two offenses against the Baltimore Ravens.[23] On November 20, 2012, Curry was waived by the Oakland Raiders after spending all but two weeks of the 2012 season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.[24]

New York Giants

Curry signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants on May 10, 2013.[25] On August 25, 2013, the Giants released Curry to trim down the 75 man roster.[26] On August 28, 2013, Curry retired from the NFL.[27]

NFL statistics
YearTeamGPCOMBTOTALASTSACKFFFRFR YDSINTIR YDSAVG IRLNGTDPD
2009SEA14615472.0200000006
2010SEA167360133.5200000001
2011SEA5221660.0000000002
2011OAK114632140.0026000003
2012OAK21100.0000000000
Career48203163405.54200000012

[28]

Key

  • GP: games played
  • COMB: combined tackles
  • TOTAL: total tackles
  • AST: assisted tackles
  • SACK: sacks
  • FF: forced fumbles
  • FR: fumble recoveries
  • FR YDS: fumble return yards
  • INT: interceptions
  • IR YDS: interception return yards
  • AVG IR: average interception return
  • LNG: longest interception return
  • TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
  • PD: passes defensed

Coaching career

Charlotte 49ers

Curry joined the Charlotte 49ers coaching staff under his former college linebackers coach Brad Lambert in 2014 as a graduate assistant. The next year, he was promoted to defensive line coach.[29]

Seattle Seahawks

Curry joined the Seahawks coaching staff on March 11, 2020[30] as a defensive assistant after spending the 2019 season as a coaching assistant.

Pittsburgh Steelers

On February 22, 2023, Curry was hired as an inside linebackers coach by the Pittsburgh Steelers.[31]

Personal

Curry is the son of former Detroit Lions and Baltimore Colts defensive back Reggie Pinkney; he has had a minimal relationship with his father.[5] His brother is former NFL linebacker Eric Barton.[32]

Curry currently resides in North Carolina.[33]

References
  1. Charlotte Country Day School Football Coaches
  2. Rivals.com Profile
  3. Scout.com Profile
  4. Curry shines in workout, makes claim for No. 1 pick Archived February 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Merrill, Elizabeth (April 1, 2009). "Aaron Curry is Driven by a Strong Work Ethic". ESPN.com.
  6. Three questions with Aaron Curry Archived February 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  7. 2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons preview Archived 2013-02-03 at archive.today
  8. O'Neil, Danny (August 15, 2009). "Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry's dreams have come true". Seattle Times.
  9. Brooks, Bucky (February 18, 2009). "Trojans Maualuga, Cushing, Matthews headline linebacker prospects". Sports Illustrated.
  10. Wyche, Steve. "Curry looking to defy history, go No. 1 in next month's draft". NFL.com. Archived from the original on 2011-10-08.
  11. Zillgitt, Jeff (April 20, 2009). "'Hard to find a flaw' in Aaron Curry; is he draft's safest pick?". USA Today.
  12. "2009 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  13. O'Neil, Danny (April 27, 2009). "Seahawks' Aaron Curry gets warm welcome". Seattle Times.
  14. "Aaron Curry". NFL Draft Scout.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  15. Packers.com » News » Stories » April 20, 2006: Gil Brandt's Analysis By Position: Linebackers Archived October 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  16. Nawrocki, Nolan (April 21, 2009). "The Way We Hear It — draft edition". Pro Football Weeklywebsite. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  17. O'Neil, Danny (August 8, 2009). "Seahawks draft pick Aaron Curry signs six-year deal". Seattle Times.
  18. "Aaron Curry's contract is the richest for a rookie non-quarterback in NFL history". Seattle Seahawks 12th Man Army. August 9, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-15. Retrieved 2010-05-28..
  19. "Seattle draft bust Aaron Curry: 'I was more about me than the Seahawks'". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  20. Costello, Brian (May 7, 2013). "Giants eye Seahawks draft bust Curry". NYPOST.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2013.
  21. "One for the record books: Aaron Curry a bust for Seahawks". Archived from the original on 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2013-08-10.
  22. Florio, Mike (October 12, 2011). "Seahawks agree to ship Curry to Raiders". profootballtalk.com. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
  23. "Fines roundup: Tim Dobbins of Texans fined for Jay Cutler hit". National Football League. 2012-11-16. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  24. "Raiders waive LB Aaron Curry". 2012-11-20.
  25. "NYG signs former 1st rounder Aaron Curry". Archived from the original on 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
  26. Alper, Josh (August 25, 2013). "Stevie Brown likely out for year with torn ACL, Aaron Curry cut by Giants". ProFootballTalk.
  27. Schwab, Frank (2013-08-28). "Aaron Curry, once the fourth pick of the NFL draft, says he is retiring at age 27". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  28. "Aaron Curry Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  29. "Curry Named Defensive Line Coach". Charlotte 49ers. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  30. "Seahawks finalize 2020 coaching staff, including Aaron Curry, as Steve Hutchinson officially joins personnel side". The Seattle Times. 2020-03-11. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  31. Varley, Teresa (February 22, 2023). "Curry named inside linebackers coach". Steelers.com.
  32. "Former Jet Eric Barton Meets Long-Lost Brother, Seahawks LB Aaron Curry,". JetNation.com. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  33. Vacchiano, Ralph (May 9, 2013). "Curry visit ends with no deal". The New York Post. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
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