Sports > November 15, 2007

By Allison Lange | Asst. sports editor

Redshirt junior Aaron Curry had a big role to fill with the loss of Jon Abbate to last year’s draft, but he has quickly and successfully took up the role of a defensive leader both on and off the field.

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(Jeff Merski/Old Gold & Black)

Curry is second on the team in tackles with 75, including 44 solos. He has also picked the ball off three times and returned the ball 169-yards on those three attempts. Curry’s real role, however, comes in bringing the team together on the sideline and trying to keep the team’s morale up. The Old Gold & Black’s assistant sports editor Allison Lange sat down with Curry to talk about his favorite game so far this season, the loss of Abbate, what got him started in football and turning around the team’s slump.

On his favorite game this season: I’ll have to say the Carolina game was my favorite game to play in this season. My family has a history with Carolina, and I had two interceptions against them.

On his goals for the rest of the season: I just want to finish strong. We don’t want to let our fans down or each other down.

On playing a different sport: I would play basketball because that is my second sport and that would be fulfilling my childhood dream of being a basketball star.

On this season living up to his expectations: We have met the expectations of just working and playing hard every Saturday. There have been a few disappointments but we still have two weeks left to get better.

On when he started playing football: I started playing in seventh grade but I never really got playing time until my junior year of high school. The only reason I played was because I played all the time in my backyard.

On how the team is going to turn it around: We are practicing and focusing better and focusing more on film sessions. We are going to come out with high levels of intensity.

On what runs through his mind right before the snap: I really just tell myself to keep my focus right before the snap. I take a look at their formation and visualize all the plays and when the ball snaps I just let loose.

On his favorite class at Wake Forest: I’d say all of my classes in my major, Sociology are interesting to me. I think my favorite class is Gender Power and Violence. I’m having a lot of fun and enjoying that a lot.