Exclusive Interview - Steelers' New LB Coach Aaron Curry Shares Incredible Connections With Larry Ogunjobi And Alex Highsmith

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been making a lot of offseason moves to prepare for the 2023 season. However, not all of them are player related. The organization has also hired coach, Aaron Curry, as the inside linebackers coach. Curry replaces Jerry Olsavsky, who had been with the Steelers since 2015. 

Curry, who is a North Carolina native, attended and played for Wake Forest. A highly touted inside linebacker out of college, he was the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. After spending several seasons in the NFL, primarily in Seattle, he transitioned into coaching.  

After leaving the NFL, he returned to North Carolina where he worked at the University of North Carolina - Charlotte (UNC-C) as a defensive coach. He spent several seasons with the 49ers in Charlotte before returning to coach in the NFL. Curry went back to the west coach to be a defensive assistant for the Seattle Seahawks.  

Steelers Are Having A Charlotte Reunion Of Sorts

Pittsburgh is hosting a bit of a Charlotte 49ers reunion, with Curry completing the trifecta. Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi both played in Charlotte while Curry was on the staff. 

Curry spoke, for the first time since joining the Steelers, with LeeAnn Lowman (SteelerNation) and Allison Koehler (Heavy) from House of Yinzer and discussed what it is like reuniting with his former players and what it means to have three members of a smaller school all represented on one NFL team. 

"I think it's cool because it is a testament to hard work, commitment, dedication, long hours, desire, discipline - all those things, not only in myself, but I watched Larry grow as I was coaching him. I watched the work that he put in."

While he wasn't directly his coach, since Highsmith was used as an outside back at the time, he still saw the tremendous work ethic that has become synonymous with Highsmith. 

"I watched Alex Highsmith at a football camp at 195 lbs and be told to weigh 225 lbs before the season and show up to the first football game at 230 lbs. I watched these guys put in the work to obtain their goals."

Highsmith and Ogunjobi have talked openly about playing with a chip on their shoulders, showing everyone who doubted them how wrong they were. Curry feels that despite having different job titles or positions, there are a lot of similarities that can be drawn between these three men. He also says he is not at all surprised that the two have been successful and that they continue to improve each season.     

"The three of us, we all kind of did the same thing, through the same place. Deciding that we wanted to be with the best of the best, and not just waiting around hoping it would happen, but making it happen. I've been proud of Alex, I've been proud of Larry because of the journey and the work they put in. They deserve everything they get out of this game because of the time they put into it."

Curry said he coaches with a lot of passion and transparency and Ogunjobi was on the receiving end of that often at Charlotte. 

"Me and Larry have had a lot of interesting moments on and off the field in regards to his development as a player and as a person. We were in a game one time at Charlotte and things weren't going our way. Larry asked me, 'What should I do?' I said, 'Larry, you better get out there and make as many tackles as you can if you want us to make a comeback. If you wanna give this team a shot, you better go out there and rip and roar and just let me deal with everything else.' He went out the next seven plays he played and made every tackle."

Highsmith has also spoken about the impact that Ogunjobi had on his development as a player, showing him know that it was possible to make it to the NFL out of such a small school. 

"We kind of set the standard for that program, especially Larry. Larry was the one who set it because he was the first guy drafted out of Charlotte. Just seeing how he paved the way for so many other guys."

Curry appears to be exactly the kind of coach that flourishes in Pittsburgh and under a head coach like Mike Tomlin. He is humble, positive, and motivating and loves to mentor young players. Highsmith said he is truly thrilled to have him as a part of the team. 

"One of my coaches texted me and said, 'We just signed coach Curry' and I was like, 'Let's go!' It's exciting, it's awesome. He's a great coach, he brings a lot of fire and enthusiasm to his coaching. He's truly going to demand the best out of his players. I just can't wait to work with him. He's a great addition to our defense."

Highsmith sums up the feelings of most of Steeler Nation. Welcome to Pittsburgh Coach Curry! 

What do you think about how the defense has evolved with the departure of Olsavsky and the brief but impactful tenure of Flores? What do you think about the hiring of Curry? Click to comment below. 

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