Wake Forest Athletics
Curry Selected by Seattle with No. 4 Pick
4/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 25, 2009
Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry on Saturday was taken by the Seattle Seahawks with the fourth pick of the first round of the NFL Draft.
Curry is the first Wake Forest player selected in the first round since Calvin Pace was taken by the Arizona Cardinals in 2003. The only Wake Forest ever taken higher than Curry was quarterback Norm Snead who was selected with the second pick in the first round by the Washington Redskins in 1961.
Curry becomes the fourth Deacon ever drafted by Seattle. The Seahawks selected tackle Steve Vallos in the seventh round in 2007 and punter Ryan Plackemeier in the seventh round in 2006. The first Deacon picked by Seattle was defensive end Michael McCrary in the seventh round in 1993.
When he reports to camp, Curry will be reunited with Vallos as well as former Deacon teammate John Tereshinski. Tereshinski, a tight end, was on the San Diego Chargers' practice squad last fall and recently signed with the Seahawks as a free agent. Seattle will have three starters off Wake Forest's 2006 FedEx Orange Bowl team.
"I am really, really excited for Aaron," said Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe. "Seattle is a great franchise and Aaron will really flourish in that system. The people in Seattle will be happy with Aaron in every way."
Curry won the Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker in 2008. He was a finalist for the Lott Trophy and was a first team All-ACC linebacker.
