Backup quarterback Jake Curry is used to being thrown into the fire

CARBONDALE, Ill — Last year, 18-year-old Jake Curry became the first true freshman at SIU to start at quarterback in 35 years. The Edwardsville native ended up making five starts, and led Southern to the largest comeback in school history, rallying the Salukis from a 28-0 deficit to beat Youngstown State and win Stats Perform National Freshman Player of the Week honors.

The situation was almost a repeat of his freshman year in high school, when at age 14, he stepped in at QB in the conference championship game at Edwardsville High School.

This season, he will backup a healthy DJ Williams, but Curry knows he’s always one play away from being back under center. His impressive camp performance so far and growing confidence means the Salukis have a more-than-capable backup to the dynamic Williams.

StrongDawgs: How old were you when you realized you wanted to be a quarterback?

JC: I started playing football at about age five or six. My dad played college football at Northwestern, and I really wanted to play. When I was five, he wouldn't let me play, and I begged him every single day. I used to sleep with like five footballs in my bed. I'd play every single day at recess, and then finally, he let me play, and the first position I ever played was quarterback — still playing it to this day.

SD: You put up amazing numbers at Edwardsville. Tell me about your first start.

JC: It was in the conference championship game when I was a true freshman. I was the only kid on the field with a different color helmet. I had the JV helmet on. The starter ended up getting hurt, and so they threw me in there, and everyone was thinking we were gonna get blown out. We actually only lost by three points. I think the final score was 50-47.  I was one of the first-ever starting quarterbacks at Edwardsville to not have their license and be able to drive.

SD: So when did colleges start showing interest in you and how did you end up at Southern?

JC: At the end of my junior year, that's when people started to look at me a little bit more. SIU was my first offer, I want to say it was in either June or July, and I took advantage of the opportunity. You know, it's closer to home, and me and my family thought that it would be the best fit for me. And I mean, it truly is.

SD: What was it like to get thrown into the fire as a true freshman at SIU?

JC: I came in a semester early in January and was able learn more about the game and get comfortable with the playbook, the people around me. When we came back to training camp, obviously I'm not thinking anything of starting. I'm like, okay, I'm going to redshirt this year, learn more, get as good as I possibly can. Then DJ (Williams) goes down and I’m one play away now. And then (Hunter) Simmons goes down and there I am, I'm in.

It was a wild ride, but I'd say the best part of last year was having the support of those guys around me. They had confidence in me, were just really good to me, took care of me. Not too many kids are going out there and starting at quarterback in college football at 18 years old.

I feel like that's why the coaches wanted me to be here, because I'm a competitor. Even though last year didn't go how we wanted, it was a very good experience for a true freshman.

SD: Tell me about your breakout game versus Youngstown State with 300 yards passing and three TDs.

JC: I still have a blur from that game, honestly. I did very well, but the guys around me did better. We struggled at first, we were down 28-nothing, but I remember hearing from all the guys and all the coaches — just to go out and play, try to have fun. Chase Evans and Jake Green used to tell me that all the time. I feel like that really clicked toward the end of that game. It was the fourth game I had started, and I was starting to feel comfortable back there. I had a lot of good receivers around me with Allen Middleton, Vinson Davis, Brad Clark, Jathen Jones — I think Keontez (Lewis) was out that week, but I had a lot of support around me.

SD: You also showed you can run it, with 85 yards at Missouri State, 78 versus Youngstown, and the big TD run at Indiana State.

JC: It’s kind of funny, actually. I feel like a lot of people didn't think I could run when I got here, and I feel like I did a pretty good job at showing that. I'm not the fastest guy in the world, but I can get a few yards. That also comes with the O-line blocking, the receivers blocking as well.

We did a lot of quarterback draws that game at Missouri State. One thing that I need to do a little bit better is learn how to get down, because on that touchdown of that game, I took a really good hit. Obviously, that's when you take one is when you know you're going to get six points out of it, but then there were a couple other times where it was like, alright, you probably should have slid.

SD: You end up pulling your hamstring versus Youngstown but tried to play through it the next week.

JC: I remember after the Youngstown game getting an interview, and I'm in a lot of pain. Like, this is the most pain I've ever been in after a game. The next day I can barely lift my knee. Meade (Smith) and Mike (Lyznicki) — they tried to get me back as healthy as I could, but I still couldn't really run. I tried to play in the South Dakota State game, and at halftime they're like, “alright, I don't think it's a good idea for you to finish out the game.”

SD: What’s it like heading into a season knowing your role is backing up a player of DJ’s caliber?

JC: We have a great relationship and push each other every day to be the best version of ourselves, and we do a lot of extra stuff together in the weight room, throwing, stuff like that. I'm excited to see what DJ does this year.

This will be an opportunity for me to redshirt and get another year of eligibility. Just learning from him, sitting back, watching him play, I feel like I'm going to become a better player as well and improve. Hopefully, I get to play in four games because we're beating someone fairly well and still get a redshirt. But I'm excited for DJ and excited for this season as well.

SD: How has it been having Coach Hill as your offensive coordinator this season?

JC: Blake Rolan did a really good job. We all loved him, and he was a great guy to be around, but Coach Hill played the position, so he knows how everything goes. He's seen the game being behind the center. Having your head coach in the meeting room is a little bit different, but I feel like it's gonna help all five of us now.

SD: Before your first start last year versus North Dakota State, he told the media how much confidence he had in you. How did that make you feel?

JC: I liked hearing him say, “I’m confident in Curry, he showed flashes.” That's a really good feeling, but you don't want to get too comfortable. I talk to my dad about this all the time — you don't want to get comfortable because when you get comfortable, that's when stuff starts to go down. Coach Hill will get on you. Coach (Dan) Clark gets on me all the time with RPOs and pulling the ball. Even if you're the day-one starter like DJ, Coach Hill pushes DJ because he wants to get the best out of him and he knows what DJ is capable of doing. Same with me, same with ET (Harris) and the two freshmen as well. I feel like last year I could have done a lot better personally, but I'm young and I'll learn from it. Next time I'm on the field, hopefully I adjust and adapt.

SD: Have people ever come up to you and said, Jake, you're not the prototype size-wise for a quarterback?

JC: Yeah, 100 percent. I honestly think (Nic) Baker being here helped me out, because obviously, I'm not the tallest. Some schools were just not interested, but that was never an issue here. I'm probably 5-10, 5-11 and 180 pounds, but I’ve had to go through that through my whole life, not being the tallest guy. For me, it's just part of having a chip on your shoulder.

SD: You're two hours from home, how nice is it for your family to be able to see you play?

JC: I don't think they missed a game last year, even BYU, South Dakota State and South Dakota.

SD: What are some things you enjoy outside of football?

JC: I feel like I could be in the PGA, honestly (laughs). No, but I like to golf a lot. I've been golfing with a lot of guys on the team. Me and ET are probably the best scramble duo on the team. The best score I've ever shot was a course back home called Sunset Hills, and I shot 77.

SD: So I heard the quarterbacks all went out and played together over the summer?

JC: We actually didn't get to do that, unfortunately. It was going to be a scramble, so if me and ET would have been partners, I think we would have took home the dub for sure. I hear DJ was a little worried about that outing.

SD: He doesn't have the skills?

JC: Yeah, he didn't want to go. I remember we were watching film and I went in to Coach Hill's office and told him DJ's saying he's not going. And Coach was like, he has to. I saw a video of (DJ) at the media day golfing. It doesn't look as bad as what he was saying, so maybe we could fix it (laughs).