2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Ryan Curtiss, TE/H-Back, Muhlenberg College

• Name: Ryan Curtiss
• Height: 6’1
• Weight: 230
• Position: TE/H/WR
• College: Muhlenberg College
• Twitter: @curtiss_ryan

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?

• My hometown, Franklin Lakes, NJ, is its location. We live 30 minutes from New York City and an hour from the beach and it’s nice to have the best of both worlds. My hometown is a calm, and beautiful town filled with people who are friendly and fun to be around. 

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?

• To be successful in football or in any sport, these 3 are very important in different ways and all are needed to be the best player you can be. The most important in my eyes is strength and conditioning. The weightroom not only gets you stronger but it also helps you prevent injuries which is key to playing sports. Conditioning is as important because you need to be able to push yourself to the next level. The next important thing is practice. Being able to do drills over and over again and seeing the plays in real time on the field allows you to build muscle memory for when it is game time. And if you want to practice well which will result in how you play in the game, you need to be strong and conditioned. Lastly, film study is the classroom of sports. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent and trends they have will help you on the field when it’s game time. 

What do you worry about, and why?

• I try not to worry about things and just live life the way it goes. But my one worry in life is that I’m not doing enough in this world. If I ever think I have done enough, I always look to top that and do better than what I have done already. 

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?

• My freshman year in high school, I was a starter on the freshman basketball team and we went 24-0. My goal was to be called up to the university at the end of our year to be able to compete with the team in their playoff run that year. I was the only starter not called up and I saw that as a failure. That summer leading into the next season I worked so hard to get a spot on the varsity roster. I was determined to be a university player and worked really hard at my weaknesses. I ended up being a starter at the university that year. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• My teammates would say that my best quality is my passion for the game and my work ethic. I have a huge passion for the game of football and base my life around it. Almost everything I do and say is related to football and what the game has taught me. I enjoy having fun and being with my teammates and playing around but my work ethic is important to me no matter what part of football I am in. Practice is for each person to get better and even though I am not a coach, I find ways to improve my teammates when I see a spot they can improve. 

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?

• The best player I have played in my college career is Michael Nobile fromDelaware Valley. I played him in the 2nd round of the 2018 NCAA playoffs and he was the DE while I was playing TE. His explosiveness and knowledge for the game made it so difficult to block and shut down. His speed and elusiveness was difficult for all of our players to slow down before he could get to our QB. 

We’re just getting started pic.twitter.com/uE3VNfS27Z

— Ryan Curtiss (@curtiss_ryan) November 5, 2019

What would your career be if you couldn’t play football?

• My career if I couldn’t play football would still consist of sports and football. I am a Business Marketing major and would like to find a job in sports marketing or sports analytics. I enjoy sports so much and want to keep it relevant in my life post playing sports. Working for espn, nbc sports, etc would be where I would like to take my career. 

Room, desk and car – which do you clean first?

• I would clean my room first because it is where I spend most of my time and it’s like my little world. The room is my base and if it is not clean then the desk and car cannot be clean as well. Next would be my desk which is in my room. Then my car. 

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?

• I would choose my one family member no matter who it is. Family is always first and no matter how close I am to this family member, they are technically a part of me because of being in my family. 

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?

• On Netflix there is a TV show called Money Heist. The Professor is the brains of the operation and his job is to set up the Heists and plan for both the best and worst situations. No matter what happens he is always moving forward and looking to improve even if it isn’t the popular decision. 

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?

• My biggest adversity in my life is failing at choosing the correct college and football team for me. I initially went to Pace University to play football and never felt at home. I knew I made a mistake and when I went into the transfer portal I did not want to make the same mistake again. I thoroughly went through my options for possible schools to transfer and made sure Muhlenberg was the right choice which ultimately was the best choice ever. 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• My most embarrassing moment has yet to come but I’m ready to overcome it when it comes. 

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• My most memorable play in my collegiate career is my final catch and my final touchdown of my career. Down 30 points in the 4th quarter, barely being able to play because of an injury and cramping, I caught a 5 yard out on 3rd down to convert the first down and ended up taking the catch for 75 yards and a touchdown. This catch was my longest TD and catch of my career and broke the single season touchdown record at Muhlenberg College. 

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Work hard, play hard by Wiz Khalifa. The song is about being able to work really hard and it will pay off when it matters. If you do not work hard, then your skills won’t be replicated in the games. 

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level?

• The most important trait you can have to help you succeed is determination and belief. Being able to believe in yourself is how you can push boundaries that you never thought you can push. If you are not fully determined to succeed then you are not 100% in on what you are doing. I am determined to get to the next level and I believe in my skills and myself. If you have any doubt, then you mind won’t let you get to where you want to be.

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?

• If I could bring one person back for a day it would be Kobe Bryant. Kobe was not just a basketball player. He was a significant figure in the world of sports and the world in general. His attitude day in and day out was rare and can not be replicated. He is the definition of a role model who did things for himself and his family and made his fans look up to him for so many different reasons. Even though he was an NBA player, his death was global and made a huge impact in this world. If I could bring him back and spend a day with him, I would learn more in that one day from him than from any other person in this world. 

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it?

• If I open up a dance club I would name it Keep On Moving. When you are at a dance club sometimes people don’t even dance because they don’t know. Just moving around and you will enjoy yourself. This relates to life because even if something isn’t going right, you need to keep on moving forward. 

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL?

• The most underrated player in the NFL in my eyes is Kyle Juszcyk. His role for the 49ers is crucial is he is a very dynamic player in the league. He is capable of being a WR, RB, H, or TE and can do so many things in those positions. His role in this past Super Bowl put himself more on the map than he was prior and his work ethic is incredible.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would rather be respected than liked. When you are respected this means you are doing the right thing even if the public is against you. Being able to make the right decisions about things even if it isn’t the popular decision is why being respected in my opinion is better than being liked. 

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?

• Sean Taylor is a player who I feel for most. He was having a great career and unfortunately got stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time. His career and life was taken from him by a person trying to rob him. He had so much potential and it’s sad to not see him and his career take off. 

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I hate to lose. In my life almost everything I do is a competition and I am always looking to win. Even if it’s the smallest things I make it into a competition in my head and push myself to win. But when I lose, a part of me feels like I failed myself or others. I set winning in my life as a standard and when I lose I see it as a chance to comeback and whatever I lose at, to try and win and fix my mistakes. I hate to lose because almost everything in life is a competition, and my standards are to always win.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?

• The person who has been the biggest influence in my life is my dad. From when I first started playing sports he has been supporting me no matter what decisions I make. He would drive me to every single baseball, basketball, and football practice no matter where or when it was and would put me in front of everything in his life. His determination to make our family happy was something that I want to continue in my life. He has put family and friends in front of his own needs and has never said to me that I couldn’t do something even if he thought it was out of my reach. Having a role model right next to me each and everyday is how I push myself to the next level in whatever I do in life.