Buddy Curry
 Curry in 2018 | |||||||||
| No. 50 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | June 4, 1958 Greenville, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 224 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Danville (VA) George Washington | ||||||||
| College | North Carolina | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1980: 2nd round, 36th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
George Jessel "Buddy" Curry (born June 4, 1958) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons from 1980 to 1987. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels. A second-round pick in the 1980 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, he and his Falcons teammate Al Richardson were selected as the 1980 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.[1]
He is currently the head master trainer for USA Football's "Heads Up Football Program", which teaches youth athletes proper tackling techniques.[2]
Early life
[edit]Buddy Curry was the defensive stalwart on Coach Alger Pugh's fine mid-1970s George Washington Eagles teams in Danville, VA.[3]
College career
[edit]As linebacker, Curry was a starter in four seasons for the University of North Carolina. He recorded 12 total interceptions, ending his senior season with five.[4]
Professional career
[edit]In his rookie year, Curry co-shared the Defensive Rookie of the Year award with fellow Atlanta linebacker Al Richardson. In 1983, Curry made 229 tackles, which remains the most by a Falcons defender in a season, followed by Keith Brooking's 212 tackles in 2002.[5] He led the team in tackles six times in his career, which included his first four seasons as a player. He blocked a field goal during a 26–14 victory against the Los Angeles Rams on October 12, 1986.[6]
After retiring, he went into work as a salesman for ten years before becoming a Master Trainer for USA Football's "Heads Up Football Program", which teaches proper tackling techniques for youth athletes. In 2002, he founded Kids & Pros, a non-profit corporation to teach young children the fundamentals of the game with the help of retired NFL players. In 2015 (the 50th anniversary of the team), the Atlanta Journal-Constitution named him the 41st best Falcon in team history.[7] In 2019, he was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame.[8]
References
[edit]
- ↑ "1980 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Buddy Curry helping Heads Up program with Kids & Pros". NFL Evolution. April 27, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ↑ "Buddy Curry".
- ↑ "Buddy Curry College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits".
- ↑ "FALCONS RE-SIGN BROOKING". The Boston Globe. Associated Press. February 21, 2003. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Falcons' short drives bump Rams off the top". Chicago Sun-Times. Associated Press. October 13, 1986. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2014.(subscription required)
- ↑ "Top 50 Falcons: No. 41, Buddy Curry".
- ↑ "Falcons legend Buddy Curry to be inducted into Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame".
