Jets DE Vinny Curry back from blood clot scare
New York Jets defensive lineman Vinny Curry answers questions from media during team during New York Jets OTA at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, N.J. Credit: Noah K. Murray
Vinny Curry has made a nice living out of chasing NFL quarterbacks. Chasing his 5-year-old son last summer may have saved Curry’s life.
The Jets 11th-year defensive end felt something in his right side when he ran after his boy. Curry initially thought it was a cramp, but quickly realized it was much more serious.
“I was like, ‘Damn, I don’t think that was a cramp,'” Curry said.
He immediately called the Jets’ medical staff and described what he was feeling. The Jets’ doctors discovered that Curry had a rare blood condition that caused his spleen to be enlarged. His spleen was removed.
Curry thought he was in the clear and could resume playing midway through last season, his first as a Jet. But he didn’t refill his blood-thinner medication and received the wake-up call of his life.
The cramp turned out to be a clot. Curry’s return was on hold. He had to “slow down and heal up.” Being there for his wife and two young children was far more important than football
“All I cared about was coming back,” Curry said. “Then looking at my kids, it was like, ‘OK, you got to take care of yourself first.’
“I’ve been playing this game since I was 5, 6 years old. You love the game so much. But at the blink of an eye, this could have took me away from my babies. It was the most scariest thing. At the same time, I knew I had to be here for them and my wife. And it was like, ‘I’m going to get through this.’ ”
Curry, 33, said a miscommunication led to him not refilling the prescriptions. He thought he was done with the blood thinners after two weeks. There were still five refills.
“I started freaking out because here I am thinking two weeks blood thinner, done, get back in shape and here I am coming back in Week 7,” Curry said. “When I got off the blood thinner or didn’t refill it, I caught the clot. I tried to move the needle too fast.”
Curry, who spent eight of his first nine NFL seasons with the Eagles, is back on the field and with no limitations. He’s been participating in Jets OTAs and helping the younger players with any questions they have.
You couldn’t remove Curry's smile if you tried. His love and appreciation for football have grown after last year’s scare.
“Every day when we step on the field, I just thank God," Curry said. "Man, I missed the smell of the grass, I missed the adrenaline, the camaraderie with the guys. I just hope I can inspire or show somebody just because this one hurdle happened, you’ll be OK.
“This won’t be the last hurdle. I got to make sure I stay the course and keep running my race.”
Curry tried to keep himself busy when he was away from football last year. He took on some home projects but learned he’s not made for home repair, painting or gardening.
“I probably rearranged and did construction in my house like no other just trying to occupy my time,” Curry said. “It’s so bad I even planted a rose garden at my house. A rose garden. Like come on, man.”
Curry said he made “more boo-boos than you can imagine.” He ended up calling a contractor. As for the garden, the plants are growing but no roses are blooming.
He can laugh now, but there were many tough times. Game days were especially difficult.
Throughout the season, Curry stayed connected with the Jets, particularly the defense. He gave his teammates any advice he could, as his desire to play again increased.
“That kind of motivated me to persevere,” Curry said.
Curry estimated that he spoke to about 25 doctors and specialists about his condition. He said he never doubted that he would play again, but the clot shook him.
“What if this spreads?” Curry thought. “I tried not to let that self-doubt get in, but let’s be honest, we’re all human. So even if a little bit of it creeps in, it’s like, ‘Damn, what if this spreads to my lungs or my calves?’ But when I looked at them babies, I was just like, ‘I can’t let them see me timid.’
“If you’re the head of the household, I’ve got to be strong at all times, because in their eyes, you’re a superhero.”
Curry has his costume back on and he’s gearing up for Aug. 12, the preseason opener. It has nothing to do with the opponent — the Eagles in Philadelphia. The battle Curry has overcome makes that day matter most.
“It really makes you appreciate little things,” Curry said. “I missed it all. I did, I really did. I never took it for granted but just being laid up like that, that moment was scary, and it really shows you what the game means to you.
“Come the first preseason game, you’re going to be out there like, ‘Damn, look at you. No matter what they throw at you, you just stand tall.’”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
