Draft couldn’t have worked out any better for Curry

       This year’s NFL Draft turned out to be more like the ending of a Hollywood movie script for Vinny Curry. The former Marshall University defensive end had every reason to believe that he would be selected late in the first round.

       In the final analysis, though, Curry got exactly what he had always dreamed of – a chance to play for his favorite childhood team– the Philadelphia Eagles.

       Eagles head coach Andy Reid did not mince words when asked about what he likes most about Curry, who was drafted in the second round as the 59^th pick overall. “Vinny has one speed and that’s 100 miles an hour,” Reid told a reporter from Philly.com.

       At first glance, it would seem that Curry might be better off with another team. After all, Philadelphia is loaded with defensive ends. Even so, he still figures to get his share of playing time. The Eagles employ a rotation on the defensive front so they can keep fresh bodies in the game. Having a rotation assures that Philly can continue to put intense pressure on the passer.

       Curry’s talent for putting quarterbacks on their backsides (23 sacks over his last two seasons at MU) is clearly documented. At some point in the future, you figure that he’ll get his shot to be an every-down player because he’s better than average as a run-stopper.

       With Curry on board, starters Trent Cole and Jason Babin will be even more effective. And when you add Curry’s fellow rookies -- Fletcher Cox (DT) and Mychal Kendricks (LB) to the mix -- there’s cause for much optimism that the Eagles will pack a much heavier punch on defense in 2012.

       Make no mistake, Vinny Curry is an impact player. The fact that a team well-stocked with pass rushers still opted to add him to their fold says a lot. And in my opinion, it’s a reflection of some of the pre-draft scouting reports which said that Curry compares favorably to Jason Pierre-Paul of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

    

NFL Draft: MU sack artist headed to Philadelphia

For Herd's Curry, tonight SHOULD be the night

       OK, so Vinny Curry sat and watched and sat and watched and never heard his name called on the opening night of the 2012 NFL Draft. No biggie. At best, the former Marshall University star was pegged as a late first-round pick -- a sleeper in the eyes of most of the draft prognosticators.

       But now it's time for Round 2. Bottom line, it will be a huge surprise if he has sit around and wait until the third round before he's selected. Curry, a 6-feet-3, 267 pounds defensive end, is ranked fourth among all of this year's draft prospects at his position. There's no question about his talent for sacking quarterbacks (recorded two sacks in the Senior Bowl).
       The only thing that kept Vinny out of the first round -- I believe -- has to do with pedigree. Marshall isn't exactly one those perennial titans of the college football universe. As far as college football programs go, the Herd is not in the same league with such heavyweights as Southern Cal, Alabama and Oklahoma.
       Even so, that shouldn't keep some team in dire need of a fierce pass rush specialist from picking Curry when the draft enters tonight's second round. Curry has the size, speed and relentless nature that few of his peers have.
       Stay tuned and check it all out when the activity begins at 7 p.m. on ESPN. Tonight is the night that some NFL team will come-a-'calling for Curry.

Don't be surprised if Curry goes in first round

Looking back: 41st anniversary was a busy day

      On November 14 of every year, there’s always cause for me to pause and push the rewind button in my memory bank.  But things were quite different this past November. It was the 41^st anniversary of the Marshall University crash, which killed most of the school’s football team. Since I played defensive back for the Thundering Herd for two seasons, I knew most of the guys who were on that plane.

      The day of the anniversary turned out to be a lot busier than I ever imagined. Guess I should have planned on that. After all, it was only a few months earlier that my memoir – November Ever After – was released. The book, which reveals many aspects of the tragedy that had never been covered, attracted much media interest.

       Things started to buzz around 9 that morning when I got a phone call from one of the local TV stations (WXII-12) who wanted to come to my home to do an interview that would air on the 5 o’clock news. The interview and filming took place right before noon.

      A few hours later, I got a call from one of the National Public Radio affiliate stations. WFDD-FM put together a short segment that was broadcast on one of its news shows later that afternoon.

      The media activity didn’t end with WFDD. By 3:30 p.m., I was on the phone with a news director who wanted a story for his radio network in Idaho. For sure, it was a hectic day. But I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my perspectives with viewers and listeners who live in different parts of the country.

       To get a sampling of some of the memories I shared, scroll down and click on the mp3 file entitled “WFDDNews11-14.”

Radio news: Tragedy touched so many people

In two years time, my life changed dramatically

       Looking back on my days as a college jock at Marshall University, I realize just how dramatically life can change. I can still remember the first time I flew into Tri-State Airport at Huntington, West Virginia. The year was ’68 and I was full of hope, determination and optimism about playing college football and earning a scholarship to pay for my schooling.

       But a little over two years after my first flight to West Virginia, life took on an ominous bleakness when the football team’s plane crashed on its return trip from a road game against East Carolina University. Even more devastating was the horrible reality that none of the seventy-five passengers survived.

       The tragedy represented a huge swing in fortunes for a football program that was in dire need of a turnaround for the better. The freshman class of ’68 had some studs. This was the team that went undefeated and routinely whipped the Thundering Herd varsity in weekly scrimmage games.

       More talent came the following year and by 1970, everything seemed to be in place for the Herd to bring some thunder to the gridiron on a regular basis. The ’70 team, which included several players from the ’68 freshman team, had at least five players who I believe would have made a living playing on Sundays in the NFL.

       All of that changed on a chilly and dreary night in November over forty-one years ago. With the demise of such a huge number of players (37), Marshall’s once-deep pool of football talent was reduced to almost zilch.

       In one night, the Herd went from being a program full of promise for the future, to being a devastated program that was forced to rebuild from ground zero.

       I spoke about some of those memories during a radio interview that aired on one of Marshall’s pre-game shows last football season. In the memoir I’ve written – November Ever After – you’ll learn all about different aspects of the crash that until now, have never been addressed. You can listen to the interview by clicking below on the mp3 file entitled “Steve Cotton and author Craig Greenlee.”