Ronald Curry

Infobox NFLactive
currentteam=Oakland Raiders
currentnumber=89
currentposition=Wide receiver


width=189
birthdate=birth date and age|1979|5|28
birthplace=Hampton, Virginia
heightft=6
heightin=2
weight=210
debutyear=2002
debutteam=Oakland Raiders
college=North Carolina
hoghlights=
* MVP of the 1998 McDonald's All-American game
draftyear=2002
draftround=7
draftpick=235
pastteams=
* Oakland Raiders (2002-present)
nfl=CUR505495

Ronald Antonio Curry (born May 28, 1979 in Hampton, Virginia) is an American football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders of the NFL. He was selected with the 24th pick of the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was the starting point guard for the basketball team. Although he was mainly a quarterback at North Carolina, he converted to a wide receiver to make the Oakland Raiders practice squad, now he is one of the starting wide receivers on the Oakland Raiders.

High school career

Curry was an All-American in basketball and football at Hampton High School in Hampton, Virginia, where he was awarded the Dial Award for the national high-school scholar-athlete of the year in 1997. He won the McDonalds Slam Dunk contest and was MVP of the McDonalds All-American game. By most reports, his high school football coach favored Curry attending Virginia and focusing on football while his high school basketball coach favored North Carolina to develop Curry into a prospect for the NBA. He verbally committed to play both basketball and football to the University of Virginia before signing instead with rival North Carolina. This made him a very unpopular figure among Virginia fans, who referred to him by such terms as "Benedict Curry", "Benedict Ronald", or "WHN" (an abbreviation of "What's his name?"), and voted to make him the "Sports Jerk of the Year" in the Tank McNamara comic strip. Ironically, Curry's cousin Almondo "Muffin" Curry, a cornerback, later decided to attend Virginia.

Ronald Curry broke several Virginia high-school football records while attending Hampton High School. He is considered one of the greatest Virginia high-school athletes ever, leading his school to three consecutive state titles in football from 1995 to 1997 and one in basketball in 1998. The 1996 Hampton High School football team went 14-0, outscoring opponents 768-83 including a 51-0 victory over a previously unbeaten Patrick Henry team in the state championship, and is widely considered to be the best team in Virginia history; the 1997 team also went 14-0 and posted similar numbers. Curry also excelled at defensive back and kick returner in addition to his quarterbacking duties. Michael Vick was in the same district as Curry in high school and was overshadowed by the accomplishments of Curry's team. While Vick was also a highly touted prospect, Curry was almost universally rated higher in recruiting rankings. In an interview, Michael Vick said "I felt pressure to compete against Ronald Curry."

College career

At North Carolina, during the "Ronald Curry Era," Curry set many records including most career passing yards and most career total yards. He was twice named the most valuable player of post-season bowl games, being named the MVP of the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl and the 2001 Peach Bowl. He also played basketball for two years along with Carolina Panthers Julius Peppers. Curry went through multiple football coaching changes. He played under 3 different offensive coordinators. In his senior season, his position coach was Gary Tranquill, who had joined the Tar Heels in 2001 after leaving the Virginia staff when Al Groh became coach. During an earlier stint with Virginia, Tranquill had been credited for developing standout quarterbacks Shawn Moore and Matt Blundin for the Cavaliers.

Pro career

Curry is now a wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders. In 2004, as the number 3 receiver behind Jerry Porter, he hauled in 50 receptions for 679 yards before injuring his Achilles tendon. Before his injury Curry had several big games including a 10 reception game against the red-hot Colts, a Raiders' season high. In addition, he recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game with 110 yards on six catches in Week 11 at Denver, then followed that up with a nine-catch, 141-yard performance the following week against Kansas City. He also won the Levitra NFL Play of the Week for his leaping, twisting, one-handed grab in the back of the end zone at Denver in a snowstorm. After extensive off-season rehabilitation to repair the tear, Curry was back in action again in 2005. Unfortunately, while playing in the second game of the season against the Chiefs, he re-injured the same tendon and was lost for the rest of the season. Curry was back in 2006 and had a fairly good year. He led the team in receiving yards and receptions and had one touchdown while only starting a few games. Curry was one of the only bright spots on the last place Raiders.

During the 2006 offseason Curry got a new 5 year $20 million dollar contract. In 2007 as a starter in Oakland, he opened regular season with a 10 catch, 133-yard and one touchdown performance.

Much was made of the comparisons between Vick and Curry over the years based on their high school proximity, with Curry often being labeled an underachiever. Curry overshadowed Vick in high school but Vick had more successful collegiate career. Vick was a starter in the NFL as a quarterback for the Falcons while Curry struggled to find a position and dealt with injuries. Curry began to find his niche at wide receiver as Vick began to deal with some on and off the field issues. With the 2007 guilty plea by Vick on dog-fighting charges and serving a lengthy prison term coupled with Curry's continued emergence as a star wide receiver with the Oakland Raiders, so begins another cycle in their comparisons. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20013304/ Just who is the real Michael Vick? - NFL - MSNBC.com ] ] [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/20/AR2007082000898_2.html Playing to Wrong Crowd - washingtonpost.com ] ]

Curry underwent surgery on his foot in May 2008. He will miss at least the team's first mandatory minicamp June 3-5. [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=11&entry_id=26540 JaSkinny Russell, Curry surgery and more OTA news] ]

Personal

Curry was raised by his grandmother Mattie Curry until she became too ill to parent him full-time due to illness. Curry & Almondo Curry (UVA 04) were then brought up by Lillian Crawford, the great-grandmother of Kenneth Crawford (UVA 01) one of their best friends, while staying very close to their grandmother as well. Mattie Curry died in October 2000, days before a UNC football game against Virginia - the school that Curry decommitted from to attend UNC.

Ronald Curry and his high school sweetheart, Shanda Bailey, separated after his sophomore year of college. Curry then met a fellow UNC student, junior Stacie Jones, and in March 2001 they became engaged. They married not long after he moved to Oakland after being drafted by the Raiders. In July 2004, they had their first child, a daughter, Camille Raley Curry. [ [http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-top100-currysep24,0,626594.story?coll=dp-sports-utility Ronald Curry - dailypress.com ] ]

References