Curtis Bray
Encyclopedia
Curtis Bray is the current defensive line coach
for the Iowa State Cyclones football team
. He has previously been a coach for Duquesne University
, Western Kentucky University
, Villanova University
, the University of Pittsburgh
and Temple University
.
where he was a star athlete in football, basketball, and track. Bray followed in the foot steps of his father and uncles who played professionally with teams including the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, Toronto Argonauts, and the N.Y. Giants. He was a starter in football from his freshman year of high school and contributed to record 33 victories of the 1984-1986 season teams. Further Bray led the Gators basketball team to the WPIAL playoffs in three seasons and won the state championship for javelin in his senior year. Bray was an academic All-American and received the Monroeville Citizen of the Year award. In 1987 he became the first defensive player to win the Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year Award
.
at the University of Pittsburgh
starting his first game of his freshman year. During his career he had 170 tackles, despite battling through numerous injuries during his junior and senior season.
Defensive Line Coach
A defensive line coach is a coach that is in charge of the defensive line in gridiron football. This position is very common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The defensive line coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator. A defensive line coach works primarily...
for the Iowa State Cyclones football team
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
. He has previously been a coach for Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
, Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
, Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
.
Early years
Bray attended Gateway High School in Monroeville, PennsylvaniaMonroeville, Pennsylvania
Monroeville is a home rule municipality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located about east of the city of Pittsburgh, Monroeville is a bustling suburb with mixed residential and commercial developments...
where he was a star athlete in football, basketball, and track. Bray followed in the foot steps of his father and uncles who played professionally with teams including the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, Toronto Argonauts, and the N.Y. Giants. He was a starter in football from his freshman year of high school and contributed to record 33 victories of the 1984-1986 season teams. Further Bray led the Gators basketball team to the WPIAL playoffs in three seasons and won the state championship for javelin in his senior year. Bray was an academic All-American and received the Monroeville Citizen of the Year award. In 1987 he became the first defensive player to win the Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year Award
Gatorade Player of the Year awards
The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to male and female high-school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys' baseball, boys' football, girls' softball, girls' volleyball, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, boys' cross country, girls' cross country,...
.
College career
Bray was recruited nationally by top universities including Pitt, Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Penn State and demonstrated academic prowess by being accepted by Ivy League schools including Yale, Harvard and the Univ. of Pennsylvania. Bray ultimately stayed close to home and played linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
starting his first game of his freshman year. During his career he had 170 tackles, despite battling through numerous injuries during his junior and senior season.