Staff Report

 

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Vinny Curry, a former Thundering Herd All-American defensive end from 2008-11 and a second-round NFL Draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, has announced that he has donated $200,000 to the Big Green Scholarship Foundation to jumpstart a facility renovation project in the Shewey Building, as well as endowing a scholarship in his mother’s name.

Curry just signed a lucrative, multiyear contract in the NFL’s offseason.

“Marshall means a lot to me,” Curry said. “Without the opportunity I was given to receive an education and play football, I would not be in the position I am today. I haven’t forgotten that.

“The people of Huntington are special and have always had my back and my best interests in mind. This financial commitment is a token of my appreciation to ensure we can continue football’s winning tradition.”

With the gift from Curry, Marshall Athletics and the Big Green Scholarship Foundation will officially launch the “Vinny Curry Project,” a fundraising campaign geared toward all Marshall Football alumni.

All of the program’s alumni will be given the opportunity to donate $1,000 to have a locker in the current locker room dedicated to them.

“We have 118 lockers in our current locker room and it is our goal to put a name on every single locker, and I have pledged the first $1,000 to purchase mine,” Marshall Director of Athletics Mike Hamrick said.

“This is an exciting time for Marshall athletics and Marshall football, and Vinny’s generosity shows what being a true Son of Marshall is all about. This is a tone-setting gift he has given and it shows what kind of person he is and what Marshall meant to him.”

The matching gifts will go toward an extensive renovation of the locker room along with other football areas in the Shewey Building.

In addition to the facility project, a portion of Curry’s gift will go toward an endowed scholarship in the name of his late mother, Linda “Cissy” Jackson. The scholarship will be part of the total pool of Thundering Herd scholarships.

“If I can send a softball player, basketball player, soccer player — whomever it may be — to Marshall from Neptune, N.J., and know that I helped provide them a scholarship, that is crazy to think about,” said Curry.

“My education is important to me and was always important to my mother. If she was still here, I know how proud she would be that I am a college graduate. I came here with not a lot of direction and the academic foundation that Marshall provided gave me a chance to be successful in life.”

Herd Coach Doc Holliday underscored and appreciated Curry’s commitment.

“Our football program, along with all of our Marshall Athletics programs, are competing at a championship level and when I heard of what Vinny had planned, it just checked another box of how special this place is,” Holliday said.

“I am excited to reach out to our alumni and make sure they know how important it is to get involved and continue helping the young men in our program today. This is a monumental moment for our program and I could not be more proud that such a special individual like Vinny believes in what we are doing.”

The Vinny Curry project will start immediately, with information brochures mailed out to all Marshall Football Alumni.

Electronic versions of the brochure will be available online at HerdZone.com, under the Big Green tab.

For more information on how to participate, please call 304-696-4661.