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| Position: | Center,linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1942-10-21)October 21, 1942 (age 82) College Park, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | College Park | ||||||||
| College: | Georgia Tech (1961–1964) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1964: 20th round, 279th pick | ||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1964: 23rd round, 183rd pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
As a player: | |||||||||
As a coach: | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||
| Postseason: | 2–3 (.400) | ||||||||
| Career: | 93–128–4 (.422) | ||||||||
William Alexander Curry (born October 21, 1942) is an American formerfootball player and coach. He played professionally as acenter in theNational Football League (NFL). He later became acollege football head coach.
He played college ball for theGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1962–1964) and then played in the NFL for ten seasons with four teams: theGreen Bay Packers (1965–1966), theBaltimore Colts (1967–1972), theHouston Oilers (1973), and theLos Angeles Rams (1974).
After his playing career, Curry was thehead coach atGeorgia State University, which began competing in college football in 2010. Previously, Curry served as the head football coach at theGeorgia Institute of Technology (1980–1986), theUniversity of Alabama (1987–1989), and theUniversity of Kentucky (1990–1996). Between coaching jobs at Kentucky and Georgia State, Curry was a football analyst forESPN.
Curry was born inCollege Park, Georgia. A 1965 graduate from theGeorgia Institute of Technology with a degree in industrial management, Curry starred atcenter for theGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team from 1962 to 1964 under legendary coachBobby Dodd.
He was selected as a future draft choice by theGreen Bay Packers in the final round (twentieth) of the1964 NFL draft. As a rookie, he was an NFL Champion for the 1965 Green Bay Packers. In his second year, he was the starting center for Green Bay in their 35-10Super Bowl I victory at theLos Angeles Coliseum.
Curry was selected by theNew Orleans Saints in the1967 NFL expansion draft on February 9 after he was left unprotected by Vince Lombardi who chose to keepKen Bowman as the Packers' new starting center.[1] Curry never saw action for the Saints who traded him one month later on March 6 to the Baltimore Colts along with three draft picks, one of which was that year's first overall selection (Bubba Smith), in exchange forGary Cuozzo,Butch Allison and a 1967 seventeenth rounder.[2] The request to include Curry in the transaction was made by Colts head coachDon Shula who admired his special teams versatility.[3] Through his tremendous work ethic and tenacity, Curry slowly developed into a first rate NFL center. He was the Colts' starting center during their NFL Championship season of 1968, and was viewed as a reliable force on the offensive line, and a team leader as well.
Like most of his Colts teammates, he remains bewildered by their stunning 16–7 loss inSuper Bowl III at the hands of Joe Namath and the New York Jets in Miami's Orange Bowl. The Colts had finished the 1968 season with a record of 13–1 and avenged their only loss that year with a 34–0 devastation of the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship contest. They were heavy favorites to defeat the upstart Jets of the upstart AFL when disaster struck: after carrying the play to New York for most of the first quarter, due to an interception in the Jets' end zone, and two missed field goals, Baltimore had nothing to show for it. Trailing 7–0 late in the first half, and feeling the pressure, the Colts attempted a flea-flicker to help reverse their fortunes. However, after having caught the Jets' defense completely unaware, QB Earl Morrall failed to spot WR Jimmy Orr wide open near the end zone, and instead threw a wobbly pass underneath that was intercepted. In retrospect, this was Baltimore's one last golden opportunity to get back into the game. It was particularly dispiriting for Curry, who, having no one to block due to the Jets biting hard on the initial hand-off, had a perfect view of Orr and was sure the play would result in a touchdown. "I looked up, and saw Jimmy open, I don't know what (could've) happened."[4] he said. To add insult to injury, following the loss, Curry and his teammates were subjected to unusually harsh criticisms, including unsubstantiated claims that they had somehow thrown the game.[citation needed]
The Colts did go on to winSuper Bowl V and the tightly knit, veteran team made a valiant defense of that title, which ended, along with the (owner)Carroll Rosenbloom era, with a loss to Don Shula's Dolphins at the Orange Bowl in the 1971 AFC title game.
After ownership of the Colts was transferred to Bob Irsay the team's championship spirit, which was emblematic of the franchise under Rosenbloom's reign, was dissolved by newly installed GM Joe Thomas. Curry's close confidant, and Colts legend, John Unitas was unceremoniously benched in 1972, and many of those responsible for the franchise's success in years past were shipped out of Baltimore—Curry among them. He was dealt from the Colts to theHouston Oilers forTom Regner and a1973 third-round selection (61st overall–Bill Olds) on January 29, 1973.[5][6] He learned that he was traded via a collect call from Thomas at the Pro Bowl in Dallas.
During a brief stint with the flagging Houston Oilers in 1973, Curry suffered a catastrophic leg injury when he was hit in the back of the leg by Rams' great, Merlin Olsen. Though he did not retire until August 1975, the injury essentially ended his playing career.
Curry's NFL career is also notable for his efforts in leadership positions (including a stint as president) at theNFLPA. Though their fledgling efforts at self-assertion were largely unsuccessful, it can be argued that men like Curry and Colts teammateJohn Mackey laid the groundwork for the vastly improved wages and working conditions that exist for NFL players today. Both were among the fifteenplaintiffs inMackey v. National Football League in which JudgeEarl R. Larson declared that theRozelle rule was a violation ofantitrust laws on December 30, 1975.[7][8]
Prior to his first head coaching assignment, Curry served as an assistant at Georgia Tech in 1976 and then for three seasons in the NFL (1977–1979) as Offensive Line Coach with theGreen Bay Packers.
Curry returned to Georgia Tech in 1980 as head football coach to replacePepper Rodgers. While it has been reported that one of Curry's first head coaching decision was to dismiss thequarterbacks coach,Steve Spurrier. Supposedly, Spurrier held a grudge for it.[9]
Curry led his team to a 9–2–1 record in 1985 and a win in theAll-American Bowl. For his efforts, he was named theACC Coach of the Year in 1985 by theAssociated Press and theAtlantic Coast Conference media. Curry posted a 34–43–4 record over seven years at his alma mater, including winning seasons in 1982 (6–5), 1984 (6–4–1), and 1985 (9–2–1) and won the All-American Bowl.
Curry then accepted a job as head coach at theUniversity of Alabama. There he posted a record of 26–10, won a share of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC) title in 1989 and made bowl appearances every year of his three-year tenure. In September 1988, he refused to fly hisAlabama team to playTexas A&M because of fears thatHurricane Gilbert would harm his players. The hurricane never reached Texas A&M atCollege Station, Texas that saw Curry subject to ridicule and criticism from A&M coachJackie Sherrill that he was doing it to try and dodge the team with their quarterback being hurt with a knee injury.[10] The game was rescheduled for December 1, when Alabama routed A&M, 30–10. Curry also suspended Alabama quarterback Jeff Dunn for breaking team rules prior to the1988 Sun Bowl againstArmy.
After posting a 10–1 regular season record (the only blemish being a third loss in a row to Auburn), Curry's1989 Crimson Tide squad shared the SEC title withAuburn andTennessee—Alabama's first SEC title since 1981—and earned the berth in the1990 Sugar Bowl, where they lost to theMiami Hurricanes, 33–25.[11] Curry was honored in 1989 as theSEC Coach of the Year and received theBobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.
Curry's three-year record of 26–10 gave him the highest winning percentage among Alabama coaches to that point since the retirement ofBear Bryant.[12] However, Curry had an 0–3 record against Auburn. Indeed, he would never beat the Tigers in 12 tries during his career. Perhaps his best-remembered on-field act with Alabama came during the 1990 Sugar Bowl, when he castigated receiver Prince Wimbley for celebrating a first down against Miami with a dance. Curry called Wimbley to the sideline, grabbed him by the jersey, and lectured him. AsABC game cameras showed, Wimbley turned away and Curry grabbed his face mask and brought him into eye-to-eye contact.[13] During Curry's time in Tuscaloosa, he was subject to intense scrutiny from the fanbase, famously having an Alabama fan throw a brick through his office window following a 1988 loss to Ole Miss.[14][15]
In early 1990, Alabama tendered Curry a new contract which contained provisions he disliked, including no raise and removal of his power to hire and fire assistants.[16] Curry was particularly upset by this since he had led the Tide to a share of its first SEC title and its first major-bowl appearance since the Bryant era. He responded by accepting an offer to become the head coach at the University of Kentucky.
In 1993, Curry'sWildcat squad posted a 6–5 regular season record and earned a spot in thePeach Bowl, Kentucky's first bowl game in nine years. The Wildcats lost that game toClemson, 14–13. As it turned out, this would be his only non-losing record in seven seasons inLexington. His 1994 team only went 1–10, still the worst in modern Wildcat football history. Curry was asked to step down after the1996 season and was succeeded byHal Mumme.
Curry joined ESPN in 1997 as a college football game analyst. His primary assignment was theESPN2 College Football Saturday Night telecast, along with selected bowl games. After 10 years away from the sideline, Curry was chosen asGeorgia State University's first head football coach in 2008, and retired after three seasons.
Curry is aChristian.[17] Curry is married to his grade school sweetheart Carolyn Curry. They have two children and seven grandchildren.[18]
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