Clarence Curry
Encyclopedia
Clarence Curry is an Arena football
Defensive specialist for the Reading Express
of the Indoor Football League
. He was originally signed by the Arizona Cardinals
of the National Football League
. He played college football
at Villanova
.
In his career, Curry has also played for the Rhein Fire
, Philadelphia Soul
, Los Angeles Avengers
, New Orleans VooDoo
, Nashville Kats
, and Mahoning Valley Thunder
.
in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey
where he was a letterman in football
, basketball
, and track
. In football he was a Second-team All-County and Honorable mention All-Area selection. He was also named to the All-County and All-Area teams by the Daily Record
, All-County by the Newark Star Ledger and All-State Group III. In track, as a senior, he was an All-Conference, All-Area, All-County, and All-Group III States selection. In basketball he was an All-Conference, Second team All-County and Honorable Mention All-Area selection.
where he majored
in communications and played with future Philadelphia Eagles
Running back Brian Westbrook
. As a freshman in 2000, Curry played mainly on Special teams, recorded six tackles on the season, he also blocked a punt
and recovered it in the endzone for a touchdown against William & Mary. As a sophomore in 2001, he recorded 32 tackles, 10 passes broken up and two interceptions. As a junior in 2002, he recorded 38 total tackles, two interceptions, nine passes broken up, one fumble recovery and one tackle-for-loss. As a senior in 2003, he helped lead the school to the #1 ranked scoring defense and total defense in the conferece and to the Division I-AA National Championship Semi-Finals. During his career, he also helped the school win two conferece championships, he was also an All-Conference selection.
, however he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals
as an undrafted free agent. As a rookie
in 2004
, he played in one game for the Cardinals. Then in 2005
he was released on August 9, 2005 during preseason cuts.
of the Arena Football League and joined their practice squad however, he was later promoted to their active roster and played in one game recording one tackle. After the season, on July 12, 2006, Curry was re-signed by the Soul, along with Eddie Moten. However, on February 23, he was released by the Soul during training camp.
On May 4, Curry was signed to the practice squad of the Los Angeles Avengers
, along with Offensive lineman Phil Hawkins and Defensive back Kairi Cooper, after the team placed Defensive back Rushen Jones on Injured Reserve
, however he did not stay with the team, and he joined the New Orleans VooDoo
. A stop which also would not last, as he signed with the Nashville Kats
prior to their Week 13 game. On June 6, he was signed to the Kats' practice squad.
, Curry played for the Albany Conquest of af2
. For his rookie season in af2, he played in four games and started one and recorded 21 tackles, two interceptions and four passes broken up. He was re-assigned to the Conquest in 2008
, and played in 13 games, starting six and recorded 52 tackles, two interceptions, two tackles-for-losses, 10 passes broken up and one fumble
recovery. He also recorded three kick returns for 53 yards and he also recorded one reception for a five-yard touchdown.
On January 21, 2009 he was assigned to the Mahoning Valley Thunder
.
of the American Indoor Football Association. He will return in 2011 when the Express move to the Indoor Football League
.
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
Defensive specialist for the Reading Express
Reading Express
The Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006...
of the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
. He was originally signed by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Villanova
Villanova Wildcats
The Villanova Wildcats is the name of the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport except football, where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association .-Men's basketball:The Villanova Wildcats compete in the Big EAST and are currently coached by Jay...
.
In his career, Curry has also played for the Rhein Fire
Rhein Fire
The Rhein Fire was a professional American football team in NFL Europe, formerly the World League of American Football. Established in Germany in 1995, the franchise resurrected the name of the former Birmingham Fire team which was active during the 1991-1992 WLAF seasons.-History:The team was...
, Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
, Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
, New Orleans VooDoo
New Orleans VooDoo
The New Orleans VooDoo are an Arena Football League team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They play their home games in New Orleans Arena....
, Nashville Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
, and Mahoning Valley Thunder
Mahoning Valley Thunder
The Mahoning Valley Thunder was a professional af2 arena football team from 2007-2009.Having entered af2 as an expansion team in 2007, the Thunder played its home games at Cortland Banks Field at the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown, Ohio....
.
High school years
Curry attended Parsippany High SchoolParsippany High School
Parsippany High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, one of two high schools in the township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, as part of the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District. The school serves students in grades 9-12 who live in the eastern half of Parsippany-Troy Hills...
in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey
Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey
Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, commonly called Parsippany, is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 50,649. The name Parsippany comes from the Lenape Native American word parsipanong, which means "the place where...
where he was a letterman in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. In football he was a Second-team All-County and Honorable mention All-Area selection. He was also named to the All-County and All-Area teams by the Daily Record
Daily Record (Morristown)
The Daily Record is a seven-day morning daily newspaper located in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. Sometimes called the Morristown Daily Record because of its historical ties to nearby Morristown, New Jersey, the paper serves the greater Morris County area of northern New Jersey. It is owned by...
, All-County by the Newark Star Ledger and All-State Group III. In track, as a senior, he was an All-Conference, All-Area, All-County, and All-Group III States selection. In basketball he was an All-Conference, Second team All-County and Honorable Mention All-Area selection.
College years
Curry attended Villanova UniversityVillanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
where he majored
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
in communications and played with future Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Running back Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
. As a freshman in 2000, Curry played mainly on Special teams, recorded six tackles on the season, he also blocked a punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
and recovered it in the endzone for a touchdown against William & Mary. As a sophomore in 2001, he recorded 32 tackles, 10 passes broken up and two interceptions. As a junior in 2002, he recorded 38 total tackles, two interceptions, nine passes broken up, one fumble recovery and one tackle-for-loss. As a senior in 2003, he helped lead the school to the #1 ranked scoring defense and total defense in the conferece and to the Division I-AA National Championship Semi-Finals. During his career, he also helped the school win two conferece championships, he was also an All-Conference selection.
National Football League
Curry went unselected in the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
, however he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent. As a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
in 2004
2004 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2004 Arizona Cardinals season was the 85th season the team was in the National Football League. The team managed to improve upon their previous output of 4-12. However, the team failed to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season.-NFL Draft:...
, he played in one game for the Cardinals. Then in 2005
2005 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2005 Arizona Cardinals season was the team's 86th in the NFL. The team was unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 6-10, and failed to make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season....
he was released on August 9, 2005 during preseason cuts.
Arena Football League
In 2005, Curry signed with the Philadelphia SoulPhiladelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
of the Arena Football League and joined their practice squad however, he was later promoted to their active roster and played in one game recording one tackle. After the season, on July 12, 2006, Curry was re-signed by the Soul, along with Eddie Moten. However, on February 23, he was released by the Soul during training camp.
On May 4, Curry was signed to the practice squad of the Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
, along with Offensive lineman Phil Hawkins and Defensive back Kairi Cooper, after the team placed Defensive back Rushen Jones on Injured Reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
, however he did not stay with the team, and he joined the New Orleans VooDoo
New Orleans VooDoo
The New Orleans VooDoo are an Arena Football League team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They play their home games in New Orleans Arena....
. A stop which also would not last, as he signed with the Nashville Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
prior to their Week 13 game. On June 6, he was signed to the Kats' practice squad.
af2
In 20072007 af2 season
The 2007 AF2 season was the eighth season of the AF2. The regular season began on Friday, March 30 and ended on July 28. The league champions were the Tulsa Talons, who defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers in ArenaCup VIII.-Standings:...
, Curry played for the Albany Conquest of af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
. For his rookie season in af2, he played in four games and started one and recorded 21 tackles, two interceptions and four passes broken up. He was re-assigned to the Conquest in 2008
2008 af2 season
The 2008 AF2 season was the ninth season of the AF2. The regular season began on Friday, March 28 and ended on Saturday, July 26. The league champions were the Tennessee Valley Vipers, who beat the Spokane Shock in ArenaCup IX.-Standings:...
, and played in 13 games, starting six and recorded 52 tackles, two interceptions, two tackles-for-losses, 10 passes broken up and one fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
recovery. He also recorded three kick returns for 53 yards and he also recorded one reception for a five-yard touchdown.
On January 21, 2009 he was assigned to the Mahoning Valley Thunder
Mahoning Valley Thunder
The Mahoning Valley Thunder was a professional af2 arena football team from 2007-2009.Having entered af2 as an expansion team in 2007, the Thunder played its home games at Cortland Banks Field at the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown, Ohio....
.
Reading Express
For the 2010 season, Curry played for the Reading ExpressReading Express
The Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006...
of the American Indoor Football Association. He will return in 2011 when the Express move to the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
.
See also
- List of alumni of Villanova University#Sports and Athletics
- List of football players from small colleges
- List of National Football League and Arena football players