Giants Aaron Curry is ready to show he's an elite linebacker

[Nas]

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2013/05/giants_aaron_curry_is_ready_to.html

 

Giants Aaron Curry is ready to show he's an elite linebacker

 

 

Ken Norton Jr. and new Giants linebacker Aaron Curry exchange text messages to this day. It was Norton, Curry says, who taught him the life lessons that set him on a path to reclaim his once "can’t-miss" career.

Norton, a former standout linebacker with the Cowboys and 49ers, came to the Seahawks as a position coach in Curry’s second season. By then, Curry said he was self-absorbed in his fame and fortune as the fourth pick overall in 2009, having signed a six-year, $60 million contract with $34 million guaranteed.

Immediately inserted as the starting strongside linebacker, Curry admitted he would pout if he didn’t like a defensive call. His checkbook took precedence over his playbook, he remembered, and his needs and wants superseded those of the Seahawks.

"Coach Norton was just honest with me," Curry said. "He would never let me slide on anything. He was harsh but I knew it was because he cared. He tried to get me to the point where I understood there was a certain way to be an NFL linebacker. It took some time."

Norton is old-school. He adheres to the lofty linebacker standards set by the likes of Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Mike Singletary and Junior Seau. He pushed Curry to the limit.

Tough love was just what Curry needed and he was making strides — Norton said he still shows tape of Curry to his young linebackers — until his balky knee and the weight of unfulfilled expectations led to him being traded to the Raiders after just 2½ seasons in Seattle.

"There may have been some things that were distracting Aaron," Norton said. "Sometimes things have to happen to us as people, sometimes we have things taken away from us before we realize and appreciate what we have."

Said Curry: "He’s a great coach. He said a lot of things to me that changed the way I saw a lot of stuff about the NFL, about life, the way you handle your business. I’m just grateful for all the wisdom and knowledge that he passed down to me. When I got to Oakland, I wore No. 51 because he wore No. 51.

"A lot of days, all I thought about was how he taught me how to handle my business."

During the summer before his junior year at Wake Forest, Curry came home to Fayetteville, N.C., and discovered he had no home. His mother and two older brothers had been evicted.

"That was one of the biggest turning points of my life, where I realized I had to do something — football was it," Curry said prior to the 2009 draft.

Lifting his family out of poverty was Curry’s motivation in college, where he won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in his senior year. So was the fact that only Wake Forest and East Carolina offered him a scholarship after a standout career at E.E. Smith High School.

Then, Curry got paid and his competitive fire was extinguished.

"To get picked fourth overall, the money replaced the poverty and solved a lot of the problems I had," Curry said. "The status kind of got rid of all my motivation.

"Early in my career, I was just selfish and self-centered. I was more about me than I was about the Seahawks. It was immaturity, and I’m glad I got past that stage."

Curry, 27, lost his starting job early in his third season in Seattle and was dealt to Oakland shortly thereafter. In 30 starts with the Seahawks, he had 156 tackles and just 5½ sacks. Admittedly, he didn’t give his all.

"It was like I knew I could do it and I knew I would do it but I just think at the time I wasn’t interested in doing it," Curry said. "I was interested in other things and football wasn’t my top priority."

Norton said it’s unfair to measure Curry solely by his sack total. He insists Curry’s stay in Seattle wasn’t all bad.

"He was a 4-3 linebacker playing off the ball and you’re not going to get sacks," Norton said. "He’s probably the best linebacker I’ve ever had to play over the tight end and just dominate him.

"There were a whole lot of expectations. You don’t see the sack numbers and people say this guy isn’t doing what he’s suppose to be doing. At the end, his legs and knees were hurting a lot and he was unable to stop on a dime. He couldn’t do all the things he was supposed to do."

Those knee issues followed Curry to Oakland. In 13 games (nine starts) over two seasons, he had 33 tackles and no sacks. He began last season on the physically-unable-to-perform list and then returned to make one tackle in two games before being released on Nov. 20, 2012.

He had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in December.

"My knee just wasn’t right," Curry said. "I couldn’t do anything that I was used to being able to do. That was frustrating because my mind-set as a Raider was to give it everything I had.

"I tried to tough it out and it kind of set me back. One of the best things to happen to me is when I got released. I didn’t have a team and I was able to focus on myself and get my knee taken care of."

Curry said he drew interest from "double-digit" teams this offseason, which surprised him. He was immediately drawn to the Giants.

"I’m amazed by this franchise and how they handle things," he said. "The professionalism here is just different."

Curry, a well-sculptured 6-2, 265 pounds, impressed the Giants with his workout — though they want him to drop 10 pounds — and signed a one-year deal. The club is hoping he can help solidify a linebacking corps that lost Chase Blackburn (Carolina) and released Michael Boley. He will play strongside linebacker.

Finally, Curry says he’s pain-free. His troublesome right knee is quiet. He said he feels "awesome."

"We’ll do whatever we have to do to put him in a spot where he’s at his best," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said.

The lack of motivation is no longer a problem for Curry. He’s thankful to get a second chance. He has vowed to give the Giants everything he has. He says he finally understands it’s not about him.

"I approach everything differently now," Curry said. "My perceptive on football and life has changed. Football is important now. It’s a priority in my life. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the Giants be successful."

Norton feels the Giants might be on to something.

"If Aaron’s health isn’t an issue, if he can run and stop and hit, I mean, this kid hasn’t scratched the surface," Norton said. "He can do a lot of amazing things. He does things that Carl Banks used to do on the tight end.

"Once he gets his mind set on something, he can do it. The only issue with him has been what’s going on between the ears. If everything is in order and he’s to the point where he has something to prove, the Giants might have caught him at the right time."

 

 

[BleedinBlue]

Money can be a huge diversion to a kid. To go from nothing to a multi-millionaire overnight while being adored wherever you go screws up a lot of guys.

 

Hopefully he's got that all out of system and ready to play ball for the sake of redeeming himself as an elite football player.

 

I read the article the other day and all I could think of was Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid. He seems to have fit nicely in that lower (early) tier after being drafted in which he achieved financial security (and a whole lot more), but wasn't ready to step up to the next phase of life. If what he says is true, he's at the "esteem" stage in which he seeks acceptance and being respected by his peers.

 

Let us hope! He could end up being a monster for us if he's matured to that point and his knees are medically sound.

 

 

[gmenroc]

Let's see the kid perform before the word 'elite' is used anywhere near his name.

 

I agree, there could be a huge distraction with the money and fame. That said, I think these guys need to have a year long class of some sort on how to deal with it responsibly. Make it part of the college athletic program instead of some required science course that they'll likely never use.

[Nas]

Let's see the kid perform before the word 'elite' is used anywhere near his name.

 

I agree, there could be a huge distraction with the money and fame. That said, I think these guys need to have a year long class of some sort on how to deal with it responsibly. Make it part of the college athletic program instead of some required science course that they'll likely never use.

 

Mentally his head seems to be in the right place.... whether he can build on that or revert back is another story. He may very well be the bright spot Rivers never was.

[gmenroc]

Mentally his head seems to be in the right place.... whether he can build on that or revert back is another story. He may very well be the bright spot Rivers never was.

 

He 'seemed' to be a sure thing coming out of college. We're still waiting for the 'seems' and 'may very wells' to change to 'is'. And until that happens, I don't want to hear about him being elite in any way.

 

Sure, it appears he's made some positive steps with his life and attitude, but I'm not getting too excited over a guy who's been let go by two teams, one of which is Oakland of all places, is recovering from serious knee issues, and that as an adult, needed to be told that he needed an attitude adjustment.

[Treehugger]

These kids are basically raised from Junior High onwards to be assholes. Its amazing how many pro-athletes are actually relatively grounded people.

[Nas]

He 'seemed' to be a sure thing coming out of college. We're still waiting for the 'seems' and 'may very wells' to change to 'is'. And until that happens, I don't want to hear about him being elite in any way.

 

Sure, it appears he's made some positive steps with his life and attitude, but I'm not getting too excited over a guy who's been let go by two teams, one of which is Oakland of all places, is recovering from serious knee issues, and that as an adult, needed to be told that he needed an attitude adjustment.

 

Agreed and I didn't even know the world "Elite" came up.. I guess subconsciously I blocked it... However I won't hold Oakland's experience against him... seems everyone goes to that dysfunctional place to make a ton of money and leaves.

[Allstarjim]

Best to keep expectations low. When you have an underperformer, a guy who has lacked motivation, a guy that has not put in the necessary work to be successful, then its best to just assume he will remain that way. It's a nice article, and of course we all hope he'll realize his potential with us, but it is rare that a guy who just isn't motivated is going to change. It's easy to talk about, we'll see when training camp is in its dog days how he meets those challenges. The coaching staff will know if he is putting in the study time, paying attention in position meetings, etc. Again, nice article, but I bet there were at least a dozen or more articles like this in Seattle when he was drafted with him saying he was motivated to do great things. And probably another article or two about becoming the player he was supposed to be for the Raiders when he was traded to them. Hence the phrase, "talk is cheap."

 

If he really wants it, show us... don't talk about it, be about it.

[Sephiroth]

Best to keep expectations low. When you have an underperformer, a guy who has lacked motivation, a guy that has not put in the necessary work to be successful, then its best to just assume he will remain that way. It's a nice article, and of course we all hope he'll realize his potential with us, but it is rare that a guy who just isn't motivated is going to change. It's easy to talk about, we'll see when training camp is in its dog days how he meets those challenges. The coaching staff will know if he is putting in the study time, paying attention in position meetings, etc. Again, nice article, but I bet there were at least a dozen or more articles like this in Seattle when he was drafted with him saying he was motivated to do great things. And probably another article or two about becoming the player he was supposed to be for the Raiders when he was traded to them. Hence the phrase, "talk is cheap."

 

If he really wants it, show us... don't talk about it, be about it.

 

I heard a locker room interview with him the other day and he didn't sound especially motivated. At one point, the interviewer says, "is the fact that many people are saying you're one of the all-time draft busts act as a motivator for you?" and his answer is, "no, no man... that doesn't act as a motivator for me. I'm motivated by my teammates." You know... those all-important teammates that he's known for all of one day.

 

I'd be surprised if he even makes the roster.

[Storm]

There's that word elite again. Shit gets thrown around entirely too much. Michael Jordan was elite.

[gmenroc]

There's that word elite again. Shit gets thrown around entirely too much. Michael Jordan was elite.

 

Bringing it to football, Lawrence Taylor was elite. Even Ray Lewis was elite. Both were assholes, but they put together seasons where teams were built around them and offenses couldn't help but focus upon them. Their mere presence on the field dictated what the offense tried to do before the first snap of the game was played. They were the player that the other teams consistently were forced to discuss when drawing up the game plan. They were the player that excelled, despite the other team's preparation to stop them.

 

You don't get elite status (from me anyhow), without SEVERAL years of CONSISTENTLY dominate play at your position. Given Curry hasn't proven shit in the few years he's had so far to do so, and he's sitting on a 1-year deal now, yeah, he's not nearly elite and he has a long, long, long way to go before he proves otherwise.

[JMFP]

Best to keep expectations low. When you have an underperformer, a guy who has lacked motivation, a guy that has not put in the necessary work to be successful, then its best to just assume he will remain that way. It's a nice article, and of course we all hope he'll realize his potential with us, but it is rare that a guy who just isn't motivated is going to change. It's easy to talk about, we'll see when training camp is in its dog days how he meets those challenges. The coaching staff will know if he is putting in the study time, paying attention in position meetings, etc. Again, nice article, but I bet there were at least a dozen or more articles like this in Seattle when he was drafted with him saying he was motivated to do great things. And probably another article or two about becoming the player he was supposed to be for the Raiders when he was traded to them. Hence the phrase, "talk is cheap."

 

If he really wants it, show us... don't talk about it, be about it.

 

Yup.....not expecting anything here. He was cut loose for a reason.

[TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt]

Mentally his head seems to be in the right place.... whether he can build on that or revert back is another story. He may very well be the bright spot Rivers never was.

He 'seemed' to be a sure thing coming out of college. We're still waiting for the 'seems' and 'may very wells' to change to 'is'. And until that happens, I don't want to hear about him being elite in any way.

 

Sure, it appears he's made some positive steps with his life and attitude, but I'm not getting too excited over a guy who's been let go by two teams, one of which is Oakland of all places, is recovering from serious knee issues, and that as an adult, needed to be told that he needed an attitude adjustment.

These kids are basically raised from Junior High onwards to be assholes. Its amazing how many pro-athletes are actually relatively grounded people.

 

If he is in smelling distance of the real Carl Banks...then we have us something here. And Tree is right; from middle school on they are anointed as living demigods all because of their athletic status. Like the gladiators of old Rome where the wives of the rich and powerful would literally screw these guys as they represented uber virility/male power...but pretty much had the social status of slaves. All I would ever do with these Princes of the Realm would be to show them all of the broken down and just pure broken ex ball players...I would hazard a guess for the NFL that is at least 85% of the former players and I don't believe I would be off by too much. I would show them these cats and let them see what happens after the body is broken and the skill set is gone...with nothing between the ears you can't even bag groceries anymore...

[NeMesiS]

This kid came to the right spot... I'm sure he won't have any problem with distractions in NYC.

[NightFire]

If he is in smelling distance of the real Carl Banks...then we have us something here. And Tree is right; from middle school on they are anointed as living demigods all because of their athletic status. Like the gladiators of old Rome where the wives of the rich and powerful would literally screw these guys as they represented uber virility/male power...but pretty much had the social status of slaves. All I would ever do with these Princes of the Realm would be to show them all of the broken down and just pure broken ex ball players...I would hazard a guess for the NFL that is at least 85% of the former players and I don't believe I would be off by too much. I would show them these cats and let them see what happens after the body is broken and the skill set is gone...with nothing between the ears you can't even bag groceries anymore...

 

I've read that 75% of all pro athletes are bankrupt within 5 years of leaving their respective league. It's why I don't get judgmental of players that hold out for big paydays. Most of these players only have a few years to make good money. The average career of an NFL player is 4 years.

[gmenroc]

I've read that 75% of all pro athletes are bankrupt within 5 years of leaving their respective league. It's why I don't get judgmental of players that hold out for big paydays. Most of these players only have a few years to make good money. The average career of an NFL player is 4 years.

 

Most of these guys make in those 4 years more than you or I would in a 30 year career, and that doesn't include speaking engagements, endorsements, book deals, tv gigs, etc. If these guys had half a brain, they COULD live the rest of their lives without having to work another day.

 

Holding out for a big pay day is justifiable by the teams' ability to cut a player at any point and not honor the remainder of the contract. It's also justifiable to gain an accurate reading of a player's worth.

 

So while I agree that holding out is a perfectly acceptable negotiating tactic, I have to disagree with the notion that they should be paid more simply because they're bankrupt in a few years after playing. That's on the player, not the league.

[Nas]

I've read that 75% of all pro athletes are bankrupt within 5 years of leaving their respective league. It's why I don't get judgmental of players that hold out for big paydays. Most of these players only have a few years to make good money. The average career of an NFL player is 4 years.

 

They're bankrupt mainly because of their stupidity not because they didn't get paid enough. How may morons worry more about bling and a Ferrari than establishing a business? Fuck them..

[BleedinBlue]

 

 

They're bankrupt mainly because of their stupidity not because they didn't get paid enough. How may morons worry more about bling and a Ferrari than establishing a business? Fuck them..

 

Strahan was very smart. He was investing his money and planning his career after football and has done really well.

 

Another one was Roger Staubach who spent every off-season for 7 years working for a real estate company to learn the business. He invested almost all his money in starting his own commercial real estate business once he was out of football, and it did very well and in fact, became a multi-billion dollar company, with over 70 offices worldwide...and which he sold recently for 613 million. Now that's a smart football player.

 

Now Plaxico Burress is releasing his own brand of socks. Seems a stretch to think one can make it big in dealing socks....but it's better than sitting home watching TV until the money's gone. http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2013/05/plaxico_burress_launches_luxur.html

 

[Tempest]

I don't blame them for going broke after the NFL. Players do try to create businesses but not every business is a success. Sure most go off and buy the bling that comes with the success but they also try to set themselves up for a future after football.

 

Its really easy to expect people to succeed with a payday like a sports career.

[NightFire]

Most of these guys make in those 4 years more than you or I would in a 30 year career, and that doesn't include speaking engagements, endorsements, book deals, tv gigs, etc. If these guys had half a brain, they COULD live the rest of their lives without having to work another day.

 

Holding out for a big pay day is justifiable by the teams' ability to cut a player at any point and not honor the remainder of the contract. It's also justifiable to gain an accurate reading of a player's worth.

 

So while I agree that holding out is a perfectly acceptable negotiating tactic, I have to disagree with the notion that they should be paid more simply because they're bankrupt in a few years after playing. That's on the player, not the league.

 

There must be some vagueness in my post since you and Nas pointed out the need to get paid more. I am not implying that with short careers that an athlete should get more money. I am saying that an athlete should try for the maximum payday because the prime years of an athlete are short. Most will only get one big contract so they should absolutely make it count. The team makes money year in and year out while an athlete has a very narrow, life wise, window to make a great paycheck.

 

Also most athletes I think go broke because of failed businesses. It seems they always open car washes, restaurants or dealerships. Vick lost all his money in a car rental agency. He had no idea on the day to day running of his business and gave money blindly. Many people are lured into businesses thinking it's and easy way to make money.

[Nas]

I don't blame them for going broke after the NFL. Players do try to create businesses but not every business is a success. Sure most go off and buy the bling that comes with the success but they also try to set themselves up for a future after football.

 

Its really easy to expect people to succeed with a payday like a sports career.

 

What's so hard about buying a few apartment buildings for say... a million dollars and having a real estate company manage them while you're in your home enjoying the income? What's so hard about owning a Dunkin Donuts franchise... or franchises for that matter?

[TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt]

There must be some vagueness in my post since you and Nas pointed out the need to get paid more. I am not implying that with short careers that an athlete should get more money. I am saying that an athlete should try for the maximum payday because the prime years of an athlete are short. Most will only get one big contract so they should absolutely make it count. The team makes money year in and year out while an athlete has a very narrow, life wise, window to make a great paycheck.

 

Also most athletes I think go broke because of failed businesses. It seems they always open car washes, restaurants or dealerships. Vick lost all his money in a car rental agency. He had no idea on the day to day running of his business and gave money blindly. Many people are lured into businesses thinking it's and easy way to make money.

 

This...part of LT's downfall was the drugs...but he was also part of two failed restaurant attempts. Like you write...they go to start businesses in areas where they think its easy. When I worked for a bank too bad I was not the loan officer...because I would shot holes in most of the business plans that crossed my desk because most small businesses (but especially restaurants) are belly up a year or at most two after starting. The profit margins are extremely narrow.

[NightFire]

What's so hard about buying a few apartment buildings for say... a million dollars and having a real estate company manage them while you're in your home enjoying the income? What's so hard about owning a Dunkin Donuts franchise... or franchises for that matter?

 

This is the big downfall. Most of these guys figure they have the capital so starting a business is a no brainier. The problem is if you are clueless about running a business it will fail no matter how much money you have. If it were that easy everybody would be rich.

[TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt]

This is the big downfall. Most of these guys figure they have the capital so starting a business is a no brainier. The problem is if you are clueless about running a business it will fail no matter how much money you have. If it were that easy everybody would be rich.

 

This^...a lot of real smart people with advanced degrees including MBA's have failed businesses left, right and center. Some regular athlete who is not a scholar athlete...I'm going to expect more of them than an MBA who also fails with start up businesses? The main part of the problem is that non-business people (e.g. athletes) see cash flow as pure profit. Most restaurants are lucky if they clear a couple of hundred dollars of profit per night. Why do people think there are so many family owned and run restaurants...you don't have to pay family S..H..I..& T.

[Nas]

This is the big downfall. Most of these guys figure they have the capital so starting a business is a no brainier. The problem is if you are clueless about running a business it will fail no matter how much money you have. If it were that easy everybody would be rich.

 

I'm not discounting the effort and experience necessary to run a business... that's what education is for. The hard part is a starting capital... these guys don't have that problem. Common sense tells me before I open up my own restaurant, I'd go work in one... even for free for a few months to get my hands dirty so to speak.

 

Look, an idiot like Donald Trump is a billionaire... you'd have to a fucking moron not to make money in real estate.