This fall, Justin Curry will have a lot of football on his plate as he prepares to accomplish a feat that seldom happens: playing collegiately while at the same time serving as an assistant coach on the high school level.
Curry, a defensive lineman who graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School in May, will start practice with the Roosevelt University football team Aug. 12. But he is also planning to be an assistant line coach for the OPRF freshman team.
“I’ve always loved football and really fell in love with the game in high school,” Curry said. “One day, I just had an idea; I had nothing to do, so why not give back and help out? I emailed my former freshman coach Joe Conway and asked if he needed any help. He said, ‘of course.’”
Curry said he likes the Huskies’ freshman group of linemen, saying it’s “one of the most experienced I’ve ever seen.”
And he offered a compliment that’s sure to be encouraging for OPRF football fans.
“If these guys stick together the next four years, there’s no doubt in my mind that OPRF will be once again on top of the West Suburban Silver,” he said. “These kids aren’t just great football players; they’re great people, and I’m honored to coach them.”
Curry, who will major in marketing, admits that it will be a challenge to balance his playing and coaching duties along with school. But he’s also optimistic that the OPRF linemen he’s coached are prepared, and that he won’t be needed as often.
“On my off days, [OPRF] is where I’ll be helping out and shaping these young men just as my coaches did me,” Curry said.
Curry’s recruiting picked up last season, when he became a varsity starter on the Huskies’ defensive line. He said plenty of schools were interested in his services, but he opted for Roosevelt because of the comfort level he developed with the coaching staff, among other factors.
“I built a strong bond with my coaches,” Curry said. “Also, the players I had conversations with felt like family. When I heard we’d be playing in the premier NCAA Division II conference [Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference], it was a no-brainer. Location also played a huge factor; being close to my home was an easy choice. The last factor that played a part was my grandmother. She was a Roosevelt graduate who recently passed, and when I officially got offered, I knew then that Roosevelt was my calling.”
Curry said he enjoyed playing for OPRF and head coach John Hoerster, whom he said taught him a valuable lesson.
“Coach Hoerster is a great coach and taught me many things,” he said. “Especially something that I still live by: early is on time and on time is late.
“If you have a community without culture, you have nothing, and Oak Park does a great job of keeping culture strong,” Curry added. “Another huge lesson I’ve learned is to be coachable. It’s the easiest way to get on the field and build relationships with your teammates and coaches; it also helps in the classroom because if you listen, you will know more than you could ever know. I tell all my players that they have to be coachable and that actions have consequences.”
While he’ll be busy this fall, Curry – who hopes to make coaching a career – will keep an eye on the OPRF varsity. He’s optimistic about a turnaround for the Huskies, who went 1-8 last season.
“Hopefully, we have a strong season, get over that hump of beating that team down the road (Fenwick), and get back to playing Huskie football,” he said. “The Oak Park community is something you won’t find anywhere else; the diversity, huge emphasis on sports, and community pride is really what I love about my town.”