Honoring the Seniors: David Curry

Today starts a series that will honor the seniors who gave their best to the Yellow Jackets and have walked across the stage saying “I Got Out.” Obtaining a degree from the prestigious Georgia Institute of Technology is no small feat and to do so as a student-athlete is something special.

We will focus on those who will be departing the team after this year. The NCAA allowed all players an extra year due to the pandemic so a few players may decide to return for an extra season such as Tariq Carpenter and Ryan Johnson have stated.

David Curry has had an unusual journey through his college football career. He wasn’t a highly recruited player out of Buford High School despite being a pivotal member of Buford’s three Georgia state titles while he was there. He held three offers from Power 5 programs in Iowa State, Virginia, and Georgia Tech. He gave a verbal commitment to Virginia just before his senior season but flipped to Georgia Tech just before signing day. He wasn’t to be a forgotten recruit though.

Curry would redshirt his first season during the 2015 campaign that saw Tech struggle with a 3-win record after their impressive 2014 season. Curry started to make an impression the next season though by appearing in all 13 games and even getting his first start against Vanderbilt. He would finish the season with 12 tackles and was a constant contributor on special teams.

The following season would be a rough one as Curry sustained a lower-body injury in fall camp and missed the entire season but later events may have made this a blessing in disguise as he would develop further.

After three years with the program, Curry broke into a starting role at the inside linebacker position. He would finish with 47 tackles on the year which was good for 6th on the team, an interception against Bowling Green, and was a key part in the win over UNC with 7 stops.

It was finally his redshirt senior season in 2019 but former head coach Paul Johnson had decided to retire and a new head coach in Geoff Collins had come to town. The offense was sure to be in flux but a new defensive staff was brought in after just one year with defensive coordinator Nate Woody. How would Curry fit in with the new philosophy in what was his probable final season?

Curry was the perfect leader for the new style that Collins wanted to implement on defense. A philosophy based on effort, passion, and energy Curry had all those and more. He would become an All-ACC Honorable Mention for his team-leading 97 tackles which was good for eighth in the ACC. He continued his harassment of UNC by posting a 16-tackle game which was the most since Morgan Burnett (2010 Super Bowl Champion) in 2009 by a Tech defender.

He wouldn’t be done with just 5 seasons. In July 2019 the NCAA granted Curry a medical waiver to play an additional year. Curry would return to be a leader of the young defense once more. Once again he would lead the team in tackles with 84 and 9 which were for a loss. He came up big in the opening game against FSU with a fumble recovery. His final three games had him reach double-digit tackles. Late in the game against Pittsburgh, the final game of his career, he would suffer a broken hand and have to come out. On the sideline, you could see his frustration as the trainers taped up his hand. Curry didn’t become the leader he was by sitting out though. He bore through the pain and finished off the game. A fitting end for a player who never backed down from a challenge.

David Curry’s time at Georgia Tech has come to its close. A seventh year is available to him due to the pandemic but he opted not to take it. Instead, he will finish with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in economics and attempt to pursue a career in the NFL. Should a team sign him they will get a leader who is driven and has the instincts and drive to compete even when he may not be the most athletic on the field. It served him well during his time at Georgia Tech.

From all the Georgia Tech faithful, thanks for a great run and good luck in the future!