Rennie Curran facts for kids

Rennie Curran (born November 10, 1988) is an American former professional football player. He was a talented linebacker, a defensive position in American football. Rennie played college football at the University of Georgia. Many people thought he was one of the best linebackers of his time. The Sporting News even called him "the most dominant defensive player in the game." In 2010, Rennie decided to enter the 2010 NFL draft early. The Tennessee Titans picked him as the 97th player overall.

Growing Up and High School Football

Rennie Curran grew up in Snellville, Georgia. He went to Brookwood High School. While playing for the Broncos, he became their all-time leader in tackles. A tackle is when a defensive player stops an offensive player who has the ball.

Rennie was named the Gwinnett County Touchdown Club Defensive Player of the Year twice. He was also recognized by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of the top players in the South. Experts at Rivals.com saw him as a four-star recruit. This meant he was considered one of the best young football players in the country.

College Football Career

Rennie Curran played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. He quickly became a key player for his team.

Freshman Year (2007)

As a new student, called a true freshman, Rennie played in 11 games. He started five of those games. He made 53 tackles, including 9 tackles that caused the other team to lose yards. He also had 3 quarterback sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. For his great performance, he earned Freshman First-team All-America honors.

Sophomore Year (2008)

In his second year, Rennie started all 13 games. He led his team with 115 tackles. He also had 10 tackles for a loss and 3 sacks. He forced two fumbles, which is when a player loses control of the ball. His 115 tackles were the most by a Georgia Bulldog player since 1998. Rennie was a finalist for the Butkus Award, which goes to the best linebacker in college football. He was also named a Sophomore All-American.

Junior Year (2009)

During his junior year, Rennie was voted First-team All-SEC by both the Associated Press and the Coaches. The SEC is a very strong college football conference. He was also named First-team All-America by CBSSports.com. He led the entire SEC in tackles with 116. After this successful season, Rennie decided to enter the NFL Draft.

Professional Football Career

Rennie Curran played for several professional football teams.

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans picked Rennie Curran in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft. He was the 97th player chosen overall. He was given the number 53 jersey. He played for the Titans during the 2010 season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rennie later spent some time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League (NFL) during the 2012 NFL season.

Edmonton Eskimos

In 2013, Rennie joined the Edmonton Eskimos, a team in the Canadian Football League (CFL). The CFL is a professional football league in Canada. He played in 16 of their 18 regular season games. In his first CFL season, he made 70 tackles and 2 sacks. He also had 2 interceptions, and one of them he returned for a touchdown! He continued to play for the Eskimos in 2014.

BC Lions

On September 22, 2015, Rennie Curran signed with another CFL team, the BC Lions. He played for them during that season. After his time in the CFL, Rennie focused on other interests.

Life Outside of Football

Rennie Curran is also an author and a public speaker.

Author and Speaker

On April 4, 2012, Rennie published his first book. It is titled "Free Agent" - The Perspectives of A Young African American Athlete. The book shares his thoughts and experiences. He is also a public speaker and has given talks to many different groups. These include schools, churches, and businesses.

Musical Talents

Rennie also enjoys music. He started playing the piano when he was eight years old. He learned to play the drums at age ten. When he was thirteen, he began playing the viola, which is a string instrument similar to a violin.