Coaches Take on the Tape: Rennie Curran

With the 97th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, The Tennessee Titans select, Rennie Curran, Linebacker, University of Georgia.  With those words spoken by the announcer in this past April’s annual NFL Draft, Rennie Curran’s lifelong dream to become an NFL player came true.  Rennie Flomo Curran Jr, more commonly known by teammates and friends as Rennie, is the lone son of Liberian immigrants whose humble beginnings and soft spoken nature have caused him to take the eye of many a Tennessee Titans fan (and this writer).  Even still, this young Georgia product could still go unnoticed on 2nd avenue, but ask any Georgia fan who Rennie Curran is and be prepared to have a slew of stats thrown your way, statistics such as:  The only Georgia Linebacker in a decade to have back to back 100+ tackle seasons, (2008) 11 tackle performances against Georgia Tech and Central Michigan, (2008) Tallied 3 Nine tackle games against Auburn, University of Florida and Arizona State, and had a pair of 14 tackle games in 2008 against Alabama and LSU.  During the 2008 season, Curran also lead the team in TFLs (tackles for losses) tackles, sacks and forced fumbles and appeared in all 13 games. In 2009 Curran was a semi-finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, this award is given to the player that best exemplifies defensive supremacy in college football, even though Curran was not given the award (Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh) the shear ability to be a semi-finalist speaks for itself.  In 2009 Rennie was also a finalist for the Lombardi Award and was voted to the All SEC First Team by the Associated Press, SEC Coaches and Phil Steele.

Aside from these awards, Rennie also possesses an extremely kind nature and is usually the last you will ever hear talking trash on

and off the field and is also one of the most likely candidates you would see reaching out to offer help in the community.  Rennie’s philanthropy work in the Nashville area started a mere couple months after he was drafted when flash floods wreaked havoc across Middle Tennessee.  Rennie Curran and the Titans (and myself) quickly rallied  in the cleanup effort to help citizens of Nashville clear out their homes and salvage whatever possessions they could.  Furthermore, Rennie also devotes his time to other charity foundations such as the The Jerry Clark Foundation (www.jerryclarkfoundation.org) whose goal is to help create citizens that give back to society by helping to prevent youths from dropping out of school or resorting to drugs and gang violence.

Even after achieving all of this, and contributing soo much, Rennie still remained on the sidelines, waiting for his chance for his number (Keith Bulluck’s old number 53 and also an inversion of his college number 35) to be called.  Waiting patiently on the sidelines week in and week out while you watch your teammates contributing to team victories and sometimes losses can be an extremely difficult task.  A task that can sometimes come with frustration for most players, but Rennie Curran isn’t like most players, in fact I would go as far as to say that Rennie will be a main staple in the Titans defense within a few short years.  People often forget that even Bulluck never started a game in his first three seasons and just like Bulluck, Rennie possesses that “it” factor that soo many “experts” talk about week in and week out.  This past week in San Diego Rennie saw his first regular season action of his rookie year making 2 tackles on Special Teams, not that impressive? well considering that he was only on two Special Teams coverages and hadn’t been on the field all season thus far, I would say that speaks volumes.  Every NFL player coming into the league will tell you, it doesn’t matter how you get onto the field, whether it be due to injury, lack of production by another player, a release, or even a need on Special Teams, a good player will find a way onto the field and Curran is most definitely a good player.  Rennie Curran did just that, through a strong work ethic day in and day out, countless hours spent watching game tape on opposing offenses, and Linebacker Jamie Winborn being put on the Injured Reserve list, you can bet your bottom dollar that Rennie Curran will see a significant amount of playing time either in the backup capacity or on Special Teams.

Through hard work, patience, and a desire to play a game that he has loved for a lifetime, Rennie Curran has arrived (although a small one thus far) and is determined to not go anywhere, anytime soon.  So please let me be the first to say, WELCOME TO THE TITANS RENNIE!!! WELCOME TO NASHVILLE!!! We hope your stay with us is a long one with a career full of great memories.