The shadow looms large for Colten Curry but if the intriguing prospect continues packing on pounds, he might outgrow his father, both literally and figuratively.
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound son of former Montana standout offensive lineman Scott Curry is already taller than his former NFL Draft pick father. Colten has a long way to catch his dad in terms of mass — Scott played at 6-foot-5, 290 pounds during his stellar career for the Grizzlies — but the potential for a massive man is already there.
His athletic bloodlines and gifted frame were enough to catch the eye of Montana head coach Bob Stitt and his staff. The Valier senior-to-be attended the Griz individual camp in Missoula in June. Less than a week later, Stitt and his staff offered the 6-man stud a partial scholarship to sign with Montana in February of 2018. Curry wasted no time committing to the program he’s grown up loving for most of his life.
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“They started recruiting me last year after their camp and it got more and more throughout the year,” Curry said in an interview with Skyline Sports in mid-July about a month after officially committing. “I went to their camp this year again and the day after, Stitt called me and said he would call me later that week to talk to me more. When he called me again, he offered me then and I committed right away on the same phone call.
“It’s been a dream since I was a little boy. It was a dream come true.”
Valier is a farming town of roughly 500 residents about an hour north of Great Falls on Montana’s Hi-Line. Scott Curry prepped there as well when the high school, which now has roughly 60 students, still played 8-man football. Scott was a standout offensive tackle for the Griz, earning first-team All-Big Sky honors as an offensive tackle in 1998.
In 1999, the Green Bay Packers selected Scott in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. He played two injury-riddled seasons in Wisconsin before retiring and moving back to Valier. Scott’s father and brother still run a farm on the Hi-Line while Scott runs a farm equipment store and a Cenex in Valier.
It’s unknown the last time a six-man football player played for the Griz, but Colten Curry may be the first one. If he can come close to his domination of the smallest classification in Montana at the college level, he should find success.
The six-man game is wide open and does not cater to specific positions other than quarterback. Curry played end on offense, a position that is eligible to catch passes. He hauled in 20 balls for 285 yards and caught nine touchdowns, using his frame and leaping ability to physically overmatch defenders. Defensively, he notched 42 tackles, a forced fumble, a sack and three interceptions playing a sort of safety for the Class C six-man state semifinalist Panthers.
“The transition might be a little difficult at first but I’ve been playing in 11-man games here and there and going to camps so I think I’m getting it down pretty good,” Curry said.
Curry is a three-sport athlete who is also a standout in basketball and track. In hoops, he averaged 10.4 points per game according to MaxPreps and in track, he ran 11.22 seconds in the 100 meters to place second at the Northern C Divisional championship. He also has personal bests of 6-foot-2 in the high jump and 19-9 in the long jump.
Colten Curry said his weight has fluctuated depending on what season he is in the middle of. He played basketball at about 190 pounds last winter but said he gained 20 pounds to get back up to 210 in less than two months shortly after. If his father is any indication, as he continues to mature, Colten will put on girth quickly as well.
“I was kind of undersized for a lineman,” Scott told the Great Falls Tribune in June. “I was only 225 coming out of high school.”
The Currys have made the 208-mile drive to Missoula frequently throughout Colten’s childhood. Playing at Washington-Grizzly Stadium has been something Colten has worked toward and dreamed of since he was a little kid.
When Colten received the scholarship offer and promptly committed, he said Scott was “super excited” and “gave me hugs” afterward in celebration.
Curry is slated as an “athlete” currently. He could play the H-receiver spot in Stitt’s offense or play defensive end in defensive coordinator Jason Semore’s multiple front scheme. UM offensive line coach Chad Germer, himself a former Montana offensive lineman, and UM wide receivers coach Mike Ferriter, himself a former Griz pass catcher, served as Curry’s primary recruiters.
There was very little question that Curry would follow in his dad’s footsteps if an offer came but Montana’s top-notch business school along with its criminology department and subsequent strong law school — Curry’s top potential majors — were selling points in his commitment as well.
“I love Missoula and I love the Griz,” Curry said. “I lived there for a few years when I was young before we moved to Valier. I know the town pretty well. I have a bunch of family over there and I’m excited to live there.”
Curry acknowledges that committing before his senior year gives him the ability to focus on the upcoming season, one he hopes culminates in Valier claiming a six-man state championship.
“It’s quite honestly a dream come true, an awesome feeling to be able to put that jersey on and run out of that tunnel,” Curry said. “It’s been something I’ve been looking forward to since I was really little.”
[/restrict]Photos by Brooks Nuanez and contributed. All Rights Reserved.
