Big Aaron Calls From the Big Apple
The phone rang around 8, and one of the deepest voices I’ve ever known was on the line.
“Hello Dan. This is Aaron.’‘
Sportswriters spent a lot of time talking with people about talking with people. We also find ourselves tethered to the phone, never daring to be out of ear shot when that call you’ve been waiting on for half a day might come. You’ll know what you’ve got to write about when you get it. That’s if you get it.
I thought I was in good shape on Aaron Curry’s big day at today’s NFL draft. He was around during spring practices and he readily gave me his cell number. And as I mentioned before, I made a point of telling him at the spring game I’d be calling. Imagine my chagrin then when I gave it a trial run on Wednesday, only to be informed that Aaron’s mailbox was full and no messages could be left.
I’m not the most nimble sportswriter in the conference, but like Riley Skinner, I can move around in the pocket, buying time to come up with something. Aaron’s agent, Andy Ross, wanted to help me, but he really wasn’t sure if he would be able to. He told me what I already knew, that the world was going to be wanting to get to Aaron Curry on Saturday evening. He also cautioned me that much of Aaron’s time and consideration would be controlled by the league and thus out of his hands.
So I talked with Coach Jim Grobe and strength coach Ethan Reeve about not just Aaron Curry, but the class as a whole. One from the Fresh Deacs, Jeremy Thompson, is already in the NFL. Two more Curry (1st round, 4th pick to Seattle) and Alphonso Smith (2nd round, 37th pick to Denver) joined him today. Chip Vaughn is expected to be drafted Sunday and Stanley Arnoux has a shot as well. It’s not outside the realm of possibilities that three more—D.J. Boldin, Sam Swank and Kevin Patterson—land with somebody either as a late draftee or free agent. Pretty decent class.
Better still, Alphonso called early this afternoon and we talked about what he was thinking. So I had something I could write, even if the call from NYC never came.
But of course it did. I say of course because that’s who Aaron Curry is. And because of that, you’ll read a better story in tomorrow’s Journal and I’ll remember another day that Aaron Curry came through.