Ex-Rougher Curl hosts camp as NFL Roughers return

Jun. 25—Kamren Curl was asked to remember the days where he was like the 150 kids who on Saturday attended his one-day football camp at Indian Bowl, doing the camp thing himself.

"I remember going to a couple of them," he said. "I'm not sure which was best for me, but they were all learning new techniques, learning from guys who've been where I'm at, just soaking up the knowledge."

Nowadays, the former Muskogee and University of Arkansas standout is a third-year member of the Washington Commanders secondary and according to some recent remarks from head coach Ron Rivera, an emerging leader of the defense after bursting onto the scene as a starter his rookie season of 2020.

This is his first full-scale camp in the town he once called home. He recently helped out Chase Young, another much-talked-about member of the Commanders' 2020 rookie class and Rookie of the Year that year, in a camp a couple of weeks ago. Both were on the Pro Football Focus All-Rookie Team of 2020.

"The goal being here is to be able to give back where I came from, giving the kids an opportunity to learn, something to do, have fun and stay out of trouble," he said. "To me these were mostly competing against guys and measuring your talent against other athletes. I learned from them and used it to get better."

The seventh-round draft pick had 88 tackles and three interceptions, including a pick-six, as a rookie, in helping his squad to an NFC East championship. He had 99 tackles last year but the team slipped to a 7-10 mark and third behind Dallas and Philadelphia.

The off-season has brought with it a continued investigation into workplace misconduct within the team's organization including owner Daniel Snyder that has reached the halls of Congress, some of whom are demanding change of ownership.

As a player, Curl says that's an issue of compartmentalization.

"When you're in the business, you're about football," he said. "We know if we have questions about anything we can go to (defensive coordinator Jack) Del Rio. We don't need to go to an outside source to talk about anything like that."

Del Rio sparked some controversy with statements that minimized the impact of Jan. 6 at the capitol and nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd. Rivera fined Del Rio $100,000 for the remarks.

Curl said even that was handled within the team "like men."

And, in Curl's case, a commander of Commanders.

In his comments about Curl's leadership role, Rivera spoke about Curl's voice being a more forceful one on the unit now.

It's something Curl embraces.

"It's a privilege to be one," he said. "It means on the field you're one out there doing the talking and people will be looking at me for questions and stuff like how to do things right, and I've got to show them."

Among those who assisted in Curl's camp was another Rougher who has experienced the NFL journey.

Stacy McGee was a defensive lineman drafted in the sixth round out of Oklahoma by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2013, and signed a five-year deal with Washington in 2017 before moving on to Carolina in 2019, Arizona in 2020. Injuries, leading to core muscle surgery in 2018, hampered him and his last stint ended with Arizona in January 2021.

"Something you love and are so passionate about, you give it all you got every chance you get because the next play could be your last," he said. "You take the average career in the NFL is really like two years, and to play through the times I did with what I had going on, it was a blessing, but it's also a lot of work and time you have to invest back into your body,. You've also got to be able to keep straight the distractions in your life whether it's family or whatever is going on.

"But it was a blessing. The relationships I built, the places I've been, the things I've seen and the opportunities I've had to be able to give back, travel the world and take some people that I care about and love on the journey with me, I'm thankful."

McGee, who now lives in Brandon, Fla., sees the latest Rougher having a huge upside in that journey.

"I mean, he has a bright future. He can do whatever he wants and he's surrounded by a great defense too, I mean I was there with some of those guys so I know their passion and how they play," McGee said. "It's great to see him having the start he's had. He's a playmaker. He's exciting. It's fun to watch him play."

Among other former Roughers helping were Kaunor Ashley, J'mari Davis, Jiraud Jones, Derrick Maxwell, Sidtrell Grayson, David Timmons and Travon Hughes as well as some members of the current coaching staff.