Blue Darter Sports Central: Guest, Bill Curry.Bill Curry:
The Player
As a player, Bill learned the game from such legendary masters as Bobby Dodd, Vince Lombardi, and Don Shula. He snapped the ball to a who's who list of quarterbacks, including Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas, and Billy Lothridge. He was a two-time Pro Bowl center and a three-time NFL Champion, including victories in Super Bowls I and V.
The Coach
As a coach, Bill restored the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to national prominence. At the University of Alabama, where he was named Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year, Bill led the Tide to an SEC Championship and to berths in the Hall of Fame Bowl, the Sun Bowl, and the Sugar Bowl. At Kentucky, Bill led his Wildcats to their first bowl game in nearly a decade. In 2008, Bill became the first head coach at Georgia State, who played its inaugural season in 2010. Bill's honors and awards include the 2007 Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, given for his lifetime work advancing the best interests of football; the 2008 Gerald R. Ford Legends Center Award, given for his lifetime of outstanding contributions, both within and outside the game of football; and the 2012 Intellectual Property Legends Award, presented for significant contribution in the field of Intellectual Property and significant impact upon one's peers and community.