Clemson product still leading by example

By Bob Wilson  |   Monday, February 05, 2007  |  Comments( 1 )

Clemson Tigers
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Jacoby Ford, Tyler Grisham and the other young Clemson receivers should pay close attention to a Chicago Bear who didn't even get onto the field in yesterday's Super Bowl.

Bears wide receiver Airese Currie continues to defy the odds by even being on the roster. Many expected the former Clemson Tigers standout to be cut after he injured his foot again late in last summer's preseason. Currie has shown remarkable staying power for a guy who has yet to catch a pass in an NFL regular-season game.

Even more surprising is the fact that Currie was a fifth-round pick. Teams will often wait for a high-money pick to get healthy and work his way into the rotation, but it is unusual to see the Bears being so patient with a second-day selection. Obviously, they see something worth waiting for.

Currie should be an inspiration to the current Tiger receivers. He began his college career as a track guy trying to play football. He always had great speed, but he had trouble running clean routes and dropped his share of passes early on.

Through hard work and determination, the Columbia, S.C., native made himself an all-conference receiver. He went from an erratic deep threat to a steady starter in the course of a couple of years. Currie was Charlie Whitehurst's go-to receiver his senior year and hauled in 61 passes for 868 yards, becoming the Tigers' sole first-team All-ACC receiver since 1991.

Currie ended up tied for seventh on Clemson's all-time career receptions list with 138 and sixth in receiving yards with 2,030. Not bad numbers for a guy who had trouble holding onto the ball as a freshman.

The current crop of Tiger wideouts should look at Currie's career as an example of what kind of opportunities hard work can create. Ford has more talent and potential after his freshman year than Currie following his, but the former could still benefit from the latter's example. Grisham is the perfect type of player who could learn how to become a more complete performer from Currie.

Although he didn't even make it on the field in Super Bowl XLI, the fact that Currie has survived two injury-plagued seasons in the NFL is a credit to his work ethic. Clemson receivers should take notice.

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