Curry is center of scouts' attention

Aaron Curry didn't do much yesterday, but it was enough to draw 41 scouts from NFL teams as well as a contingent of curious observers who lined the wall near the entrance of Wake Forest's practice field.

Curry, who could be the No. 1 pick in next month's NFL draft, had little to prove after impressing scouts by ranking first among linebackers in four of six drills at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month but he did participate in footwork and agility drills as well as a workout for linebackers at yesterday's Pro Day.

Eleven of his Wake Forest teammates also participated, including potential first-round pick Alphonso Smith, but it was Curry, sporting a pair of bright green cleats, that drew the crowd.

"Football is what I do," Curry said. "I have a passion for football and working out is what I like doing. I like doing position work. I love being around it. Pro Day is something that I've watched the last four years… All of us had the dream on Pro Day we were going to go out there and every team in the NFL was going to have a representative there.

"What I do is not always for me. I do it for my teammates. I knew me working out would draw some attention and for my teammates that's a great thing."

Curry has a chance to be the first No. 1 pick from Wake Forest. Quarterback Norm Snead was the second player chosen in the 1961 NFL draft.

The Detroit Lions have the first pick and if Curry is chosen, he would become the fifth linebacker taken with the top pick, the first since 1988 and only the second outside linebacker to be chosen No. 1.

"I think that No. 1 pick is the dream for every college athlete, no matter what position you play," Curry said. "It would be awesome to be the No. 1 pick. But my mentality also is whatever franchise I get to, to make an impact right away."

Jim Grobe, Wake Forest's coach, said: "We've got a lot of good football players on our team and of course Aaron Curry is as good as we've every coached. He's great not only on the football field but he's great off the field.

"And I think that's the nice thing about Aaron Curry, he's a kid that the coaches and the general managers and the owners can go to bed at night and not worry about because his behavior is exemplary as well as his football ability."

Curry (6-3, 257) won the Butkus Award given to the nation's top linebacker last season and led all linebacker prospects at last month's NFL Combine in the 40-yard dash (4.6 seconds), vertical jump (37 inches), broad jump (10 feet, 4 inches) and 60-yard shuttle (11.35 seconds).

He said that the entire process of working out for scouts, which has elevated his draft status, has been enjoyable.

"The Combine was a fun time for me," Curry said. "To be able to go up there and compete and show that Wake Forest is not just that little school that just provides a great education but we put out some great football players."

Smith, a cornerback, said that he expects he could be drafted from the middle of the first round to the early second round. He also skipped many of the time and distance tests yesterday, standing on previous performances, and continued to field questions about his height.

"Teams always ask, ‘You're 5-9, can you match up against Larry Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, and what about Braylon Edwards, Andre Johnson, Anquan (Bolden)?' " Smith said. "I always give them the same response. Making plays never have a size or speed on it."

Linebacker Stanley Arnoux, kicker Sam Swank and safety Chip Vaughn of Wake Forest all participated in last month's NFL Combine, and all were on hand for scouts yesterday. So was receiver D.J. Bolden, whose brother Anquan Bolden of the Arizona Cardinals supported him with his attendance.

Nine players from programs other than Wake Forest displayed their talents for scouts, including offensive linemen Joe Blanks and Michael Helton and defensive back David Irizarry of Winston-Salem State and defensive lineman Jeff Bradley of Western Carolina, who played high-school football at West Forsyth.

"This is an opportunity," said Bradley, who was pleased with his performance and hopes to get invited to an NFL camp, at least as a free agent. "I haven't been in anything like this. At school it's one, two, maybe three scouts."

Grobe said that he was pleased with the number of scouts in attendance, the largest yet for a Pro Day at Wake Forest.

"It's a little bit surprising since we have kind of an open-door policy throughout the year for the scouts but it's good for our players and an exciting time," Grobe said.

He said he is also pleased that so many Wake Forest players are being evaluated for a chance to play in the NFL, and that every NFL team had at least one representative at yesterday's drills.

"For little ol' Wake Forest to have five guys go to the Combine is pretty good," Grobe said. "I think we have a couple of players beyond that who will have a chance to get in camp that are pretty good football players and may surprise some people.

"It's good for us. Everybody knows that we have a great school academically but I think people are starting to notice now that we have some opportunities for some young guys to come in and not only get a great degree but have an opportunity to play at the next level."

■ Tommy Bowman can be reached at 727-7320 or at tbowman@wsjournal.com.