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SPORTS
Curry takes his next stage
Mark Webb/The Herald-Dispatch Marshall's Vinny Curry celebrates after the Herd defeated East Carolina during the C-USA football game on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington. Marshall defeated East Carolina 34-27 in overtime.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON -- In the only way Vinny Curry knows how, he welcomed himself to the Senior Bowl with a fashion statement.
No, the Marshall University All-American defensive end didn't tug his famous Ric Flair pink boa and blonde wig along with him to Mobile, Ala., for this week's festivities.
Instead, he made his presence felt wearing, well, hardly anything.
"You have to do height and weight with your shoes off," Curry said during a phone interview Wednesday evening. "You're basically on the stage with nothing on."
And with the eager eyes of NFL scouts, coaches and draft analysts taking note of your every move.
But Curry insists he wasn't shaking when he stepped to the scale on Monday.
"No, it wasn't high-pressure," he said.
In fact, it was a bit amusing when he stepped off.
"They said, 'Curry, 265,'" he said, reliving the moment. "Everybody looked at each other and went, 'Ohhhh.' It was crazy."
Cue Flair's pro wrestling theme song. Curry had arrived.
At 4 p.m., Saturday, Curry's big week will conclude with his participation in the 63rd Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The NFL Network will televise the game.
Maybe some time Sunday, the officially measured 6-foot-3, 265-pounder will take time to rest.
These last six days have been quite the whirlwind.
"We wake up in the morning at 7 o'clock," Curry said. "Then 7 to 8:30 is breakfast. We leave to get on the bus at 8:45. We practice from 9 to 12. Then we have 12:30 to 2 o'clock to ourselves. Then from 2 o'clock on, we have meetings and everything.
"It's a great experience."
A great stock-helper, too.
Curry went to the Senior Bowl with the same intention of his fellow North squad teammates and South team opposition. Make an impression that will help NFL organizations with their selections come the draft in late April.
For Curry, that effort began with Monday's weigh-in, continued with daily practices and will come to an end with Saturday's game.
"Every rep is huge," he said. "Defense, special teams. Every rep is huge."
Including those against Ohio State's monster tackle Mike Adams.
In one of the more headline-grabbing match-ups at Senior Bowl practices, Curry took his chances against the 6-7, 323-pound Adams.
Who won? Check out a couple observations:
"Vinny Curry has looked terrific in the early going," wrote Sports Illustrated's Tony Pauline. "He's been matched up against Ohio State tackle Mike Adams, who has been rising up draft boards, yet he's bettered the Big Ten linemen. Curry has looked quick, athletic and fluid. Adams reverted to holding Curry in an attempt to slow him down."
"Curry began the day by making mammoth Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams appear as though he was on skates," wrote Vic Ketchman of Packers.com. "Curry then continued his assault on Big Ten offensive linemen by making Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler whiff on a pass-block attempt."
As for Curry's own evaluation of the Adams challenge, he simply said, "Man, Mike's a beast."
But how many one-on-one chances will Curry get at a tackle such as Adams in the NFL? Will the dominating defensive end in college even stay at that position on the next level?
Speculation about moving the Neptune, N.J., native to linebacker has increased.
"Oh, yeah," Curry said. "A lot of NFL teams have brought up linebacker."
Would that be a comfortable spot?
"Yeah, it would," he said.
Why?
"A lot of people forget," he said. "When we were playing two years ago -- 2009 -- me and Bert (Albert McClellan) would switch and flop. We were running a 3-4 system under Coach Rick Minter.
"It was just the rush. Just coming off the edge. (Linebacker) is basically the stand-up position I had under Coach Rip's (Chris Rippon) defense. You pressure, you get in zones, you drop to the flat."
But where will he drop in the draft?
"It wouldn't surprise me if he ends up working his way into the second round before all is said and done," wrote ESPN's Todd McShay.
Saturday will represent Curry's next step.
As well as his last time wearing the Block M helmet.
"I really hope to see a lot of Marshall fans out here," Curry said. "And I've seen some. That made me smile. I'm just representing the Herd."
