Momentum carrying Curry towards NFL Draft

With the NFL Draft rapidly approaching, professional teams are carefully examining which players they will soon make a part of their franchise. New Jersey native Vinny Curry is one player who has gained a great deal of momentum over the past month.

The former Marshall defensive end was named the 2011 Conference USA defensive player of the year and picked up where he left off last week at the Senior Bowl.

NFL Draft expert Scott Wright of DraftCountdown.com had the chance to watch Curry all week in Mobile, Ala., and offered his thoughts.

"His motor never stops. I think we saw in the game, he had two sacks," Wright said. "He's one of those guys that gets it done between the lines. A big reason for that is the competitiveness and a non-stop motor. He never quits. He will play to the whistle and beyond if need be."

Curry came away content with his performance at the Senior Bowl.

"It was a great experience just to be around a lot of NFL scouts and coaches," Curry said. "A guy in my shoes coming from Marshall University just to go out and perform like I did, it was just a great experience. It was a wonderful thing to be a part of."

Following daily practices at the Senior Bowl, Curry was often swarmed by NFL scouts

"They're very interested," said Curry. "They said to keep working hard and everything is going to pay off."

Hailing from Neptune, N.J., hard work has defined Curry and enabled him to reach his current lot in life.

"During the off-season I ran into him at the weight room back at home because we're basically from the same hometown," said Rutgers freshman Miles Shuler, who was Rivals.com's 127th ranked prospect in the nation in 2011. "We were talking and he just has a relentless work ethic. That's who he is, that's what he's about. He's always worked harder than everybody else and that's the advice he gave me."

Now that Curry is on the brink of a very promising NFL career, he serves as a role model to many players back in his home state.

"He built a path for the rest of us," said Shuler. "He's a big time icon from my home area. That's really important because it shows anybody can make it from anywhere. Hard work is the way to do it and that's what he taught me."

Next up for Curry is a stop at the NFL Scouting Combine out in Indianapolis, where he hopes to build on the momentum that just seems to keep on rolling.