Craig Curry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Houston, Texas, U.S.
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| Position | Defensive back | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | July 20, 1961 Houston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 187 lb (85 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Kashmere (Houston) | ||||||
| College | Texas | ||||||
| NFL draft | 1984: 4th round, 93rd overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Craig Anthony Curry (born July 20, 1961) is an American former professional football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts.[1] Prior to that he played college football for the Texas Longhorns where he fumbled a punt in the 1984 Cotton Bowl that led to Georgia's game winning TD and Texas losing out on the National Championship, which instead went to Miami.[2]
College Career
Curry played football at Texas from 1980-1983 and graduated in 1984 with a BBA in Engineering Route to Management.[5][4]
In his freshman year, he played in 3 games in which he had 12 tackles, an interception and a broken up pass.[6] The team finished 7-4 and lost the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.
In his sophomore year, he played in 9 games, amassing 34 tackles, 4 Tackles for Loss (TFLs), 2 interceptions and 3 broken up passes, including one that was intercepted by Mossy Cade.[7] The Longhorns went 10-1-1, beat Alabama in the Cotton Bowl Classic and finished the season ranked #2.
In his junior year, he played in all 11 games, racking up 50 tackles, 5 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles (FF), a team-leading 4 fumble recoveries (FR),[8] 2 interceptions, 5 Quarterback Hits (QBH) and 9 broken up passes. Against Utah, he tipped the potentially game-tying 2 point conversion pass attempt.[9] Against Oklahoma, he slipped on the wet turf and gave up a 1st quarter 63-yard touchdown as the Sooners upset the Longhorns, but he also had key turnovers against Houston and Texas A&M.[10] The Longhorns went 9-3, lost the 1982 Sun Bowl to North Carolina and finished ranked #17/#18.[11]
In his senior year - 1983 - he played in all 11 games again and recorded 37 tackles, 5 TFLs, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 interceptions for 37 yards, 8 QBH, and 10 broken up passes.[12] He helped the Longhorns win the 1983 Southwest Conference Championship and, going into the bowl games, the #2 ranking. A win in the Cotton Bowl would have won them the National Championship, but late in the 4th quarter, with Texas up 9-3, Curry muffed a punt which Georgia recovered and turned into the game winning touchdown drive. Texas finished the season ranked 5th.
After his college playing career was over, he played in the 1984 East–West Shrine Bowl where he had a 39 yard interception return that set up a touchdown.[5][13]