Ronald Curry facts for kids
Curry during his tenure with the Raiders
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| Buffalo Bills | |||||||
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| Position: | Quarterbacks coach | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | May 28, 1979 Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Hampton (Hampton, Virginia) | ||||||
| College: | North Carolina (1998–2001) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2002 / Round: 7 / Pick: 235 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Ronald Antonio Curry (born May 28, 1979) is an American football coach. He used to be a wide receiver player. Currently, he is the quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills team in the National Football League (NFL). Before this, he worked as an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers.
Curry played college football as a quarterback at North Carolina. The Oakland Raiders picked him in the 2002 NFL draft. He played for eight seasons in the NFL. He was part of the Raiders, Detroit Lions, and St. Louis Rams teams.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Ronald Curry was born in Hampton, Virginia. He went to Hampton High School in his hometown. There, he was an amazing athlete in both basketball and football. He was even named an All-American in both sports.
In 1997, Ronald won the Dial Award. This award is given to the best national high-school scholar-athlete of the year. In 1998, he won the McDonald's Slam Dunk contest. He was also the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the McDonald's All-American Game.
High School Football Success
Ronald Curry broke many records for high school football in Virginia. Many people think he is one of the best high school athletes ever from Virginia. He led his school's football team to win three state championships in a row from 1995 to 1997. He also helped the basketball team win a state title in 1998.
The 1996 Hampton High School football team was undefeated, winning all 14 games. They scored 768 points and only allowed 83 points from their opponents. They even won the state championship game 51–0. This team is often called one of the best in Virginia history. The 1997 team also went undefeated with similar impressive scores. Curry was also great as a defensive player and a kick returner.
Michael Vick, another famous football player, was in the same high school district as Curry. Vick felt pressure to compete with Ronald Curry because of his team's success. Many experts rated Curry as a better offensive player than Vick when they were in high school. One college football recruiting expert said Curry was the best offensive player he had seen in 23 years. Coach Bobby Bowden also said Curry was the best high school quarterback he had ever seen.
College Playing Career
At the University of North Carolina, Ronald Curry set many records. These included the most career passing yards and most career total yards. He was named the most valuable player twice in post-season bowl games. He won this award at the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl and the 2001 Peach Bowl.
Curry also played basketball for two years at North Carolina. He played alongside Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers. During his time in college football, Curry had different coaches. He played under three different offensive coordinators.
National Football League Career
Joining the Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders chose Ronald Curry in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL draft. He was the 235th player picked overall. At first, he was drafted as a quarterback.
Curry played his first regular season NFL game on November 3, 2002. This was in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. In 2003, he played in all 16 games and started two of them. He caught five passes for 31 yards.
Becoming a Wide Receiver
In 2004, Curry became a wide receiver. He was the third-best receiver on the team. He caught 50 passes for 679 yards before he hurt his Achilles tendon. Before his injury, he had a great game against the Colts, catching 10 passes. He also had his first game with over 100 receiving yards. He caught six passes for 110 yards against Denver. The next week, he caught nine passes for 141 yards against Kansas City. He even won an award for a leaping, one-handed catch in a snowstorm.
After his injury, Curry had surgery. But in 2005, he hurt the same tendon again in the second game of the season. This meant he could not play for the rest of the year.
Curry came back in 2006. He was one of the few good things about the Raiders team that year. He led the team in receiving yards and catches. He also scored one touchdown, even though he only started a few games. After the 2006 season, Curry signed a new five-year contract. In 2007, he started the season with 10 catches, 133 yards, and one touchdown.
In May 2008, Curry had another surgery on his foot. He missed some team practices. In the first game of the 2008 season, he caught a 4-yard touchdown pass. Later in the season, he was replaced by a rookie player. But when that player got hurt, Curry started again. He caught six passes for 73 yards against the Miami Dolphins. The Oakland Raiders released Curry on February 18, 2009.
Time with Other Teams
On April 16, 2009, the Detroit Lions signed Ronald Curry. Later that year, on July 22, 2009, the St. Louis Rams got Curry in a trade. However, the Rams released him on September 5, 2009.
NFL Career Statistics
Ronald Curry played in 76 NFL games during his career. He caught 193 passes for a total of 2,347 yards. He scored 13 touchdowns. His best season was 2006, when he had 62 catches for 727 yards.
Coaching Career
High School Coaching
Ronald Curry started his coaching career at Mooresville Christian Academy in Mooresville, NC. He was the athletic director and head football coach from 2010 to 2012.
San Francisco 49ers Assistant Coach
From 2014 to 2015, Curry worked as an offensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He left the team after the 2015 season when the coaching staff changed.
New Orleans Saints Coach
On February 3, 2016, the New Orleans Saints hired Curry as an offensive assistant. He worked under head coach Sean Payton. In 2018, he was promoted to wide receivers coach.
On March 4, 2021, Curry became the quarterbacks coach for the Saints. He also became the passing game coordinator on February 23, 2022.
Buffalo Bills Quarterbacks Coach
On February 7, 2024, Ronald Curry was named the quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills. He works under head coach Sean McDermott.
Personal Life
Ronald Curry was raised by his grandparents. When his grandmother, Mattie Curry, became too sick, Ronald and his cousin Almondo Curry were cared for by Lillian Crawford. She was the great-grandmother of their friend Kenneth Crawford. Ronald and Almondo stayed very close to their grandmother until she passed away in October 2000.
Curry met Stacie Jones, a fellow student at UNC. They got engaged in March 2001 and married after he moved to Oakland. They have three children. Their first daughter, Raley Camille, was born in July 2004. Their second daughter, Emery Mattie, was born four years later. On February 23, 2010, they had their first son, Carter Wallace.
