Ronald Curry's Career a Greek Tragedy?

Timing is important.  Some men don't get the recognition they deserve because they are overshadowed by others.

The records show that Michael Vick may have overshadowed Ronald Curry, since Virginia is the home state of both pro football players.  Curry grew up nearby Hampton, Va.  These men arrived on the NFL scene during the same era.

Another famous athlete, NBA super-star Allen Iverson, may have also cast a shadow on the awareness of Curry.  Iverson is also from around Hampton, Va.

The BQB_Site.com says:

"The Oakland Raiders drafted Curry in the seventh round as a developmental QB and “Slash” type player  He made the Raiders' roster after training camp in 2002 by returning kicks as well as learning the quarterback position.

"He is currently (2002) on the practice squad after being on the active roster earlier in the '02 season.  Curry was activated by the Raiders for Super Bowl XXXVIII.  I believe that Curry will need to have at least two years of learning the QB position and learning to read defenses."

The author continues, "I am worried that he will be viewed only as a utility player (QB\KR\DB\WR\RB) and not as a starting QB in the NFL. He will have to navigate the same territory as Kordell Stewart, another great athlete, who had to prove that he was starting QB material. He may need to spend time in NFL Europe learning more about the game and position."

An interesting point is that Curry was supposed to be a quarterback.  Do some African American quarterbacks have a difficult time demonstrating their ability to play the position at the NFL level?

Ronald Curry has been described as an intriguing quarterback.  What happened to him? Are we getting all of the facts in the stories about those who aspired to be quarterbacks but somehow have been moved to other positions?

Are there some untold stories that need to be announced on a megaphone for the public to hear the hidden facts about those who aspire to be quarterbacks?

Curry was an outstanding college athlete, dually gifted in both basketball and football.

Is Curry's story metaphorically related to that of Achilles?  Well, one thing we have learned is that Curry was accident prone, and his common injury was to his Achilles tendon.

Some of the personal stories of NFL players are as intriguing as those in Greek literature.  Many NFL players start strong in high school and college and just never get their breakthrough for greatness in the NFL.

One reason for their limited success is recurrent injuries.

Even if some of the stories are so-called "urban legends," it is clear that the African American quarterback has to be good, tough, and consistent to prove himself.

This brings us to the struggles of JaMarcus Russell.  In his quarterback career, Russell has had a chance to prove himself, but the degree of his success has been questionable.

In earlier years, there were stories of those who did not get as far along in the NFL quarterback experience to have a pattern in their statistics.

Sometimes, the forces that hinder a man's ability to perform are covert and not easily identified.  Might this be true with Russell?

After you read the history of those African Americans who aspired to be quarterbacks, you learn that many of them were shifted to other positions after they were drafted.

It makes you wonder if we see the picture clearly.

So, Curry may have injured his Achilles tendon, but more broadly, the NFL may have its own "Achilles heel," or weak spot.  What might that be?

More important, however, is how may we stir interest in identifying and correcting those covert behaviors and intangibles that may be hindering the performance of some players and teams in the NFL?

For information on Curry's statistics visit this link.