Curtis Bray facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 9, 1970 Monroeville, Pennsylvania, US |
| Died | January 15, 2014 (aged 43) Ames, Iowa, US |
| Alma mater | University of Pittsburgh |
| Playing career | |
| 1988–1991 | Pittsburgh |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1993–1994 | Duquesne (DC/LB/ST) |
| 1995–1996 | Western Kentucky (DL) |
| 1997–1999 | Villanova (DE) |
| 2000–2002 | Pittsburgh (DE) |
| 2003–2006 | Pittsburgh (LB) |
| 2007–2008 | Temple (LB) |
| 2009–2013 | Iowa State (DE) |
Curtis Sidney Bray (born May 9, 1970 – died January 15, 2014) was a well-known American football coach. He worked with several college teams. These included Duquesne University, Western Kentucky University, Villanova University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, and Iowa State University.
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Curtis Bray's Early Life and Sports
Curtis Bray grew up in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He went to Gateway High School. There, he was an amazing athlete. He played football, basketball, and ran track.
His father and uncles were also professional football players. They played for teams like the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins. Curtis started playing football in high school as a freshman. He helped his team win 33 games between 1984 and 1986.
Curtis was the first athlete at Gateway High to earn 12 varsity letters. This means he played on a main sports team for all four years. He also led his basketball team to the WPIAL playoffs. In his senior year, he won the state championship for javelin.
Curtis was also a great student. He was an academic All-American. He also received the Monroeville Citizen of the Year award. In 1987, he made history. He was the first defensive player to win the Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year Award.
College Football Career
Many top universities wanted Curtis Bray to play for them. These included Pitt, Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Penn State. He was also smart enough to be accepted into Ivy League schools. These included Yale, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Curtis decided to stay close to home. He chose to play linebacker at the University of Pittsburgh. He started his very first game as a freshman. During his time at Pitt, he made 170 tackles. This was impressive, even though he had several injuries in his junior and senior years.
Curtis Bray's Coaching Journey
After his playing days, Curtis Bray became a football coach. He started his coaching career in 1993. His first job was at Duquesne University. He then coached at Western Kentucky University and Villanova University.
Later, he returned to his old school, the University of Pittsburgh. He coached there for several years. After that, he coached at Temple University. His last coaching job was at Iowa State University. He coached at Iowa State from 2009 until 2013.
His Passing
On January 15, 2014, Curtis Bray passed away. He collapsed while going to a meeting. His death was caused by a medical condition called a pulmonary embolism.
