CURTIS CUNNINGHAM
6-2, 270, DL
Littleton, Colo. (Columbine) |
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HIGH SCHOOL?As a senior, he was named All-Midlands by PrepStar and SuperPrep, the latter of which ranked him as the No. 44 player overall in the region and the third rated defensive tackle. EA Sports selected him as a third-team All-American (it selects fewer players to its team than others). Scout.com ranked him as the fourth top player in Colorado and the No. 42 defensive tackle in the nation, while Rivals.com ranked him sixth and No. 46 in the same, respectively. He was named All-Colorado (Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, the only repeat member on the team in the state), along with garnering first-team All-State and All-South Metro Conference honors. He was also the Rocky Mountain News 5A State Player of the Year, 5A South Metro Conference MVP and the Denver Post Defensive Player of the Year. He was the recipient of the John Lynch Star of the Month Award for the month of October and he was a member of the All-American Under Armour Football Team. A two-time South Metro Defensive Player of the Year, afforded the honor his junior and senior years. A four-year letterman in football and a senior team captain, he played both tackle and end in recording 75 tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles and two recoveries. He also started at offensive tackle as a senior, allowing zero sacks and paving the way for Columbine to rack up 3,633 yards and 47 touchdowns on the ground, including two backs who rushed for over 1,000 yards. As a junior, he was named first-team All-State, All-Conference and was the Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year. He was the Denver Post Player of the Year as he played solely defense and registered 85 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two recoveries. He was a first-team All-Conference selection as a sophomore, as he racked up 50 total tackles. As a freshman, he played middle linebacker, posting 10 tackles on the season. His top game as a senior came in a 17-16 loss to Pomona in which he recorded 10 tackles and a sack on defense. As a junior, he registered eight tackles, two tackles for a loss and a sack in a 35-14 win over Pomona. Under head coach Andy Lowry, Columbine went 46-6 during Cunningham’s tenure, including 11-1 in his senior season (losing to Bear Creek 31-28 in the state quarterfinals), 13-1 his junior year, capturing the state championship; 10-2 his sophomore season, losing to Douglas County 40-28 in the first round; and 12-2 his freshman year. He also will letter four times in baseball (first baseman), as he was named All-Colorado and first-team All-State (5A) and All-Conference as a junior. As a sophomore, he was named first-team All-Conference, and as a freshman he was an honorable mention performer.
ACADEMICS?He plans to major in Business (finance) at Colorado. A 2007 Colorado Chapter/National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete (one of 12 selected and honored by the organization). His biggest academic prep accomplishment was registering a 4.2 GPA during the fall of his senior football season (he has maintained an overall grade point of 3.7).
PERSONAL?Born July 26, 1989 in Denver. A grandfather (David Welton) played defensive end for Colorado State in the mid-1950s. He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has done extensive community service as a teen. He participated in a 9News Food Drive and a Christmas gathering for children, sponsored by Events Etcetera.
