A few short words about Rennie Curran, little bitty Bulldog
On his list of the 25 best players in college football, Matt Hayes of Sporting News Today places three Florida Gators (you-know-who is No. 1), three Oklahoma Sooners, two Oklahoma State Cowboys and a Yellow Jacket (Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer is 13th) — but no Bulldogs. And I know what you’re saying. “Where’s A.J. Green?”
Well, the dauntless Georgia receiver missed the cut. (Alabama’s Julio Jones made it, though. He’s No. 15.) Green isn’t even included in Hayes’ 10-man batch of honorable mentions. And that shouldn’t bother anybody. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, et cetera …
But — you knew a “but” was coming, didn’t you? — I have a hard time believing there are 25 (or 35) better players than one particular Bulldog. And I don’t mean A.J. Green, though he’s really good, too.
I mean Rennie Curran.
He’s a little bitty linebacker — OK, so he’s listed as 5-foot-11 — who doesn’t look like much until he starts making every tackle, and then you start thinking, “How is this little bitty guy making every tackle?”
Loading ...Even Georgia’s coaches aren’t sure. They resisted starting him as a freshman in 2007 because he was a freshman and didn’t know the nuances of Willie Martinez’s (cough, cough) Extremely Sophisticated Scheme, but finally they broke down and, lo and behold, he started making every tackle.
Last year Mark Richt sought to explain what makes Rennie Curran great and wound up talking about technique. When a linebacker is pursuing, Richt said, he’s supposed to take on a blocker with a certain shoulder, but Georgia waived that clause for Curran. Richt: “We just said, ‘Go make the tackle.’ ”
And he does. I don’t know what kind of future, if any, Curran has because the NFL isn’t crazy about little bitty linebackers (LBLBs), but all I know is that at the collegiate level he’s a player.
Were I an accomplished nicknamer like Dan Magill, I’d dub Curran the Mighty Mite. But I’m not, so I won’t. I’ll just leave it at this: Pound for pound and inch for inch, this LBLB is as good as there is in these United States.
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79 comments Add your comment
Cuz
June 18th, 2009
11:22 am
Mark feel free to use the phrase “Bull Terrier” when describing Curran. Just have the AJC forward me the check. Thanks.
Here is an image. UGA VII next to a Bull Terrier. Underneath the picture the comment, Jeff Owens standing next to Rennie Curran.
gtforever
June 18th, 2009
11:32 am
Hey Coach D, USC would have blown the bullpups out…. Please, don’t be so delusional. That UGA football team was NO where near NC caliber…
Ramblin Wrecker
June 18th, 2009
11:35 am
I’m confused Mark Bradley. A guy puts out a list of the top 25 players in the nation, and a GT Yellow Jacket makes the list at 13 and all you want to write about is a UGA linebacker who didn’t make the list. A LB who when Jon Dwyer was running for a 60 yard TD in their beatdown of UGA, wasn’t even in the picture for the entire run. I’m sorry, I understand we live in a UGA dominated society, but I refuse to accept this nonsense. Jon Dwyer could be the starting RB on ANY team in the nation right now. Rennie Curran might not start on half the teams in the SEC. This blog is made out of thin (hot UGA) air. But then there’s always plenty of that hot air in these parts (see ranked #1 preseason last year that resulted in squat).
TW
June 18th, 2009
11:35 am
Coach D – thanks for the explanations, but only verify that the Def has alot of explaining to do.
I must respectfully disagree with your belief that tackling has nothing to do with coaching. And I must add that any team that allows themselves to go in the bag for the rest of the year following a loss is simply not being coached/motivated well at all – not on this level.
My concern for the Dogs Def coaching began back against Wyoming when nobody knew what to do about the TE, as if we’d never seen the postion go out for a pass before. Since then, the exception has been a good performance, but the rule is that they are unreliable – especially the LBs who are often in the wrong spot, read/react at a glacier pace, tackle poorly and will often, Curren the exception here, persue half-heartedly.
Insanity – doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Dawgtime
June 18th, 2009
11:38 am
Who is Matt Hayes? I have never heard of him. That is just his opinion. All the SEC teams are loaded with talent. I will say that A.J. Green and Julio Jones are the best freshmen WR’s that I have ever seen. They are going to be very special talents. I love Rennie Curran. He may be 5′7 but it is solid muscle. That young man is a great player and person. Team leader. High character. The size doesn’t bother me because tackling is about leverage and getting low. He has a low center of gravity and delivers the blow. He, Brandon Spikes, and Rolando McClain are the best in the country. Rennie is a tackling machine. How many tackles does he miss? Another example of class.
RxDawg
June 18th, 2009
11:42 am
Thats a good post Coach D. I agree completely. You should apply for the dawgs =)
RxDawg
June 18th, 2009
11:46 am
gtforever , you do realize that UGA was #2 that year right? You still say we were “NO where near NC caliber…”?
Boses
June 18th, 2009
11:53 am
Rennie, send your resume to the Seattle Seahawks. They love unusually sized defensive players and those players do well there.
Coach D
June 18th, 2009
12:16 pm
gtforever…
You my friend are buying into the USC hype machine. USC had a good team in 2007, but they weren’t anymore National Championship caliber then UGA was at that time. Don’t get me wrong, USC always has talented teams, and usually sends tons of guys to the NFL. BUT momentum is a big thing in football, and every championship team has it. And UGA had more of it then USC did at that point in the season. I’m not implying that UGA would have blown USC out, but I will say that UGA would have been a bad matchup for the Trojans. And to tell you the truth, I think USC wanted to play UGA that year too. Beating up on Illnois made them look weak and probably cost them a share of the National Title. But if UGA and USC got to play each other, I believe the winner would have gotten at least a share of the National Title. But I guess we’ll never know will we? Gosh, the Rose Bowl committee could have made SOOOO much money off that match up. But they decided to go with “tradition” over the match up that everyone wanted to see. You talk about elevating the UGA program? A win over USC in the Rose Bowl would have done it!
Reggies Balls
June 18th, 2009
12:20 pm
Ramblin Wrecker. Still can’t get no respect, huh? Keep looking down while we look up. LOL
Old Dawg
June 18th, 2009
12:31 pm
Guys like Rennie Curran are what make college football more enjoyable to watch … guys that nobody thinks can get the job done become outstanding players. The fact that he’s a great guy only adds another reason to enjoy his play on the field.
On another note, seeing the photos of several Dawg players at Camp Sunshine is an inspiration. As a father who lost his only son to leukemia, I cannot adequately express what the time spent by players and coaches represents to patients at children’s hospitals. Indeed, their precious lives are extended when their heroes walk through the door. Believe me, it truly happens!
Chris
June 18th, 2009
12:31 pm
Never seen anyone hit running backs so square. I think they call it something about the center of the cylinder. If you’re looking for nicknames, the kid is just a bullet.
how2fish
June 18th, 2009
12:33 pm
RamblingWecked..Dude get over yourself the only way the AJC can drum up any interest in college football this time of year is with articles about the Dogs..Your supposed fan base can’t even drum up a sellout unless 8,000 Dogs buy tickets to the game. You have nothing of interest to offer even during the season…and after the beat down the Dogs give the Bugs this year..like locusts you can go back underground for another 7 years…
Georgia News - 6/18/09 | MrSEC.com
June 18th, 2009
12:34 pm
[...] digital media delivered via the internet and portable wireless devices.Mark Bradley of The AJC is a fan of UGA’s “Mighty Mite,” linebacker Rennie Curran.September will tell Georgia fans a whole lot about the 2009 Bulldogs.Mark [...]
bob
June 18th, 2009
12:37 pm
Now now gtforever I know that you are a dawg hater but to say that team wouldnt have stomped any team put in front of them that year in the BCS is just insane, even pete carrol didnt want anything to do with us that year.
But that year is another example of willies suckiness, every year he lets us down at least once, UGA will never win the NC as long as willie is there and he wont go anywhere since no college/pro teams want to hire him away like they did van gorder. Did you ever think there is a reason for that Richt?
bob
June 18th, 2009
12:41 pm
Wow, is Ramblin Wrecker that delusional not to realize nobody cares about GT even in atlanta as much as they care about UGA?
Are tech fans always this obnoxious or do they just come out when they win a game every decade?
NRBQ
June 18th, 2009
1:01 pm
Condolences to you, Old Dawg. Sorry to hear it.
how2fish
June 18th, 2009
1:10 pm
Old Dawg sorry to hear that, I know all too well how hard it is to lose a loved one to cancer…I can’t fathom what losing a child was like.
Oledawg
June 18th, 2009
2:24 pm
Old Dawg- None of us are ever aware of other bloggers having a life. Thanks for sharing part of yours. I still remember the bracelet that DJ wore continually after a girl at Camp Sunshine gave it to him on a visit.
How about, ” hit by an “Electric” Curran T? “Hard” Curran C? A “Hot Curran” T? A “Swift” Curran T? A “Rip” Curran T? ”
How about a photo of Rennie Curran(RC) next to a Moonpie?
RedDawg
June 18th, 2009
3:19 pm
He’s not “little bitty”, short, or small. He’s just wound up tighter than the rest of them. You can bet on that.
Old Dawg
June 18th, 2009
3:36 pm
OleDawg. Thanks for your comment. Things like UGA players going to Camp Sunshine only proves that CMR is doing more than coaching his players, and the impact on them can be more than on the kids.
Best, Old Dawg
Nate "Tifton Termite" Taylor
June 18th, 2009
3:49 pm
Curran’s a big ol’ fella.
Cuz
June 18th, 2009
4:48 pm
As a father of a disabled daughter who has fought for her life more times than I can remember, I want to give a big shout out to the Dawgs that visited Camp Sunshine. Mark Richt to me is not measured by the MNC trophies he does not have in the Butts-Mehre building. He is measured by the men he has produced. And that is my humble opinion.
Gen Neyland
June 18th, 2009
4:53 pm
Old Dawg : I know of your heartache. I pray those that do not never will. Although we lost one of ours in another manner, we lost him…Many programs, coast to coast, have coaches and players involved with children in need or that are ill. From Kyle Petty to Phil Fulmer to Mark Richt to the volunteer, Thx.
Old Dawg
June 18th, 2009
9:20 pm
Cuz and Gen Neyland: Thanks for your kind comments. We all share heartaches, but I find great strength in the struggle whenever I see or read about coaches and others helping young people reach their full potential in life. It’s also encouraging to see the many good works of Peyton Manning’s Peyback Foundation, the charitable work of CMR and many others.
As I have written on these blogs in the past, during my career as a sports writer I wrote countless stories on the positive impact of athletics on people’s lives. There are too many stories to tell, but their importance is immeasurable.
A few short words about Rennie Curran, little bitty Bulldog | Mark … « The Bulldog Resource
June 18th, 2009
9:33 pm
[...] Read the original: A few short words about Rennie Curran, little bitty Bulldog | Mark … [...]
BKbroila
June 19th, 2009
1:17 am
Matt Hayes is an idiot…I have never seen a more biased and unresearched top 25 in my life. Moron!!!
Tom
June 19th, 2009
5:18 am
Curren is the man. He’s been doing what he does since he was a freshman at Brookwood High School. You see the ball carrier going around the end as a pac of players run with him. The next thing you see is a dart right through the rest of the players and straight to the ball carrier. The dart is Rennie, lined up for another big hit. I don’t know where he comes from or how he gets there so quick, but he can light up a ball carrier from any angle. Best of all, he’s a great person. I wish him well.
The Sting
June 19th, 2009
3:30 pm
Did someone mention Atwater from Denver Broncos? He’ 6′3 2-something. Where was Rennie When Tech ran for 400 plus? That was last year. He will do well in the NFL.
Tells you a lot about the coaching staff during his freshman year about starting him.