ISD
ISD
Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz,) defensive tackle Natrell Curtis has made a habit of creating chaos on the gridiron and becoming a quarterback’s worst nightmare, but he's quick to admit he wasn't always this way and even had the opportunity to feel what it was like to be on the other side of the ball.
“I started playing football when I was about six years old,” recalled Curtis. “I just started playing because my uncle and my parents wanted me to play. To tell you the truth, I really didn't have a love for the game, back then, like I do now.
“I was bigger than a lot of the kids my age, so I play a lot of defensive tackle and offensive line, but my eighth grade year I slimmed down and started playing running back and tight end.”
Many kids would enjoy the chance to be in the spotlight and getting all the glory, but according to the Arizona native that wasn't the case.
“I have to tell you running the ball can be pretty tiring and it's not as fun as it looks,” he said with a laugh. “I'd rather be out there just hitting people instead.”
The move to the high school level would also come with the few bumps in the road for the talented defensive tackle.
“When I got up there I knew I could play with all those guys, but I did have to adjust to the speed of the game quickly,” admitted Curtis. “The hardest part for me was just getting the playbook down and understanding what I was supposed be doing on every play.”
Through hard work and determination, the Mountain Pointe standout began to flourish and realized the sky could be the limit in terms of where he could go with his football potential.
“Going into my sophomore year I saw these guys around me getting offers and I thought to myself, ‘If they can do it, I can do it,’ he explained. “That year I was in the gym literally every single day. Once I picked up that very first offer, my motivation was to keep on going and strive to be the best.
“I didn't want to get complacent because there are a number of guys out there, that when they get that first offer, start to slack off and get out of shape because they think they have it made. I wasn't going to let that happen to myself and my goal was to get even better.”
It's also helped that he's had a mentor close to heart and close to home.
“I would say the biggest influence on my life has been my cousin, Izzy,” shared Curtis. “I’ve always watched him play and wanted to follow in his footsteps. He’s always been a great role model for me and always gives me great advice. My cousin’s always trying to lead me in the right ways and making sure I'm always making the right decisions.”
Speaking of decisions, the 6-foot-3, 285-pound defender still has quite a bit of time before he'll need to start narrowing his list down and currently that offer list has several big time programs on it, including Arizona, Arkansas, Boise State, California, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, UCLA, Vanderbilt and Washington, just to name a few.
Though he’s thankful for all the attention he's receiving, Curtis admits it's all been kind of a blur.
“It's kind of crazy because my dreams of playing college football are going to become a reality one day. I'm definitely blessed and I thank God everyday because not too many kids get this opportunity. I'm extremely excited and I'm looking forward to taking the next step in my football journey.”
