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| Position | Defensive back | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | July 20, 1961 Houston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 187 lb (85 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Kashmere (Houston, Texas) | ||||||
| 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]
Curry played high school football at Houston Kashmere High School where he was a defensive back. [3]
Curry played football at Texas from 1980-1983. [4]
In his freshman year, he played in 3 games in which he had 12 tackles, an interception and a broken up pass. [5] 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. [6] 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), [7] 2 interceptions, 5 Quarterback Hits (QBH) and 9 broken up passes. Against Utah, he tipped the potentially game-tying 2 point conversion pass attempt. [8] 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. [9] The Longhorns went 9-3, lost the 1982 Sun Bowl to North Carolina and finished ranked #17/#18. [10]
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. [11] 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. [4] [12]
In January he was selected by the San Antonio Gunslingers in the 1984 USFL territorial draft. In May he was selected by the Colts in the fourth round of the 1984 NFL draft. [13] He signed with the Colts later that month, but was cut by them near the end of camp that year. [14]
In November he was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played in 5 games with them during the 1984 season, despite a midseason hand injury. [15]
Over the next two seasons he played in 32 games, with 17 starts, 2 interceptions, a sack and a 6 yard kickoff return. Following an injury to Paul Dombroski, he made his first start for Tampa in November 1985 in a game where he had a sack, a pass deflection and 9 tackles. [16] After the 1986 season he was released. [15]
A few months later he was re-signed by the Buccaneers going into training camp, but was released a few weeks later. During the player's strike he was signed by the Colts. He played in all 3 scab games, recording an interception and was released when the strike ended. [15]