Curtis Fann Jr.: Catching up with Curtis

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Anyone who follows high school football in Emanuel County and Southeast Georgia is familiar with the name Curtis Fann Jr. Curtis completed a stellar career as a student-athlete and graduated from Emanuel County Institute in 2019. Curtis was a 4-star football recruit and was considered one of Georgia's top high school players. He received college scholarship offers from the big boys of college football, including Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oregon, and others. Curtis decided to attend Florida State University. Things didn't go as planned, and after two years at FSU, he transferred to the University of Akron.

Four years later, Curtis completed his bachelor's degree and has two years of football eligibility remaining. I recently had an opportunity to talk with Curtis about what has transpired in his life over the past four years. Curtis is a football player, but our conversation was about more than just football. 

Interview with Curtis Fann conducted by Harold Scott:

You grew up in the small town of Stillmore, Georgia. What were some of the challenges/advantages of growing up in a small town?  

Growing up in a small town you see a lot of the same people and the same things. Some people may feel trapped. Some don’t get to see a lot of stuff and think this is all there is but there’s more out there if you pursue your dreams. You can get stuck if you don’t get outside your box and find things that interest you. Some of the advantages are it is a great place to grow up. It's the country. I am country. I like the country; People are close-knit and very supportive. People will take you in, I learned a lot. I learned a lot of manners and values. I was brought up the right way. Growing up here was the best thing that could have happened to me; I would not have it any other way. I was raised by my mom, grandmother, and aunt, but I was also blessed to have my dad in my life, and we have a great relationship. 

Speaking of your dad, (Curtis Fann Sr), he was an outstanding athlete at Swainsboro High School. He was an all-state linebacker and one of the top players in the state. Were you aware of his athletic history, and did you feel any extra pressure or expectations carrying his name? 

I was aware of it and knew about his history. I didn't feel any pressure. I always looked at it as positive. I knew how good he was, so it motivated me. I wanted to be just like him; I wanted to be even better. I wore #8 in high school because I wanted to be like my dad. 

Tell me about your high school career. 

I joined the football team as a freshman. I didn't start, but I played a lot. I became a starter during my sophomore season and had a really good year. During that season, I began sending out my game film to different colleges. It got a little frustrating when I didn't hear anything, especially when guys in my class at other schools were getting offers. I attended a few camps. I went to the MVP camp and the Elite Classic All-Star game for 10th graders. Finally, South Carolina contacted my coach, Chris Kearson, and offered me a scholarship. This was my first offer, and after that “it blew up”. After I started getting offers, I attended camps at different colleges.  

You start hearing from a lot of big-time colleges, and you start getting lots of offers. When did you decide it's time to start narrowing things down? 

I actually committed to Florida State before my senior season. Things were getting hectic and a little aggravating. I wanted to focus on my senior year and not recruiting. I committed to Florida State, but Auburn was still pushing really hard toward the end. I almost made a visit but decided not to. I didn’t want to put any pressure on myself. I shut things down in recruiting. I didn't want to waiver in my commitment to Florida State. 

What factored into your decision to choose Florida State University?

It was an easy decision. I felt at home on the campus, they made me feel happy whenever I visited. My mom, family, and friends all loved it. Before Alabama and Georgia, it was Florida State. FSU was once one of the most iconic schools in the country. Willie Taggart was the coach, and they always made me feel comfortable.  It was where I wanted to be and the best school for me. 

You arrived at FSU in the fall of 2019. How was the experience? 

The experience was good. I loved it. I injured my shoulder in fall camp. They said I didn't need surgery. I rehabbed and missed most of the season. During the following spring, I injured my shoulder again, and this time, I had to have surgery. This was also the Covid year. We weren't on campus, and I had to do rehab back home in Metter. With the injury, covid, and other things going on, I decided it was best to transfer to another school. I was never healthy at Florida State. I was disappointed I couldn't be the player I was capable of being at FSU because of always being injured. 

You decided to transfer to Akron University. What factored into that decision?  

I had several options. Not as many as I had coming out of high school. I looked at a few other schools, Middle Tennessee State, Jackson State and Western Kentucky, but Akron was the best school for me. Some of the other schools were looking for specific position players and others had some things with their depth chart. Akron played in a good conference and their facilities were good. My dad drove me up for a visit. The school was everything I was looking for. I talked it over with my family and made the decision. The only drawback was it was far away and the weather up north, but I overcame that, and it was a good decision.  

While attending Akron, you blossomed into the football player you envisioned yourself being and completed your bachelor's degree. How did it feel getting your degree? 

A lot of people go to college and don't complete their degree. It was big to follow through on the degree. It was something my mom always talked about. She emphasized having something meaningful after football to fall back on. It made me feel good. I'm not where I want to be yet, but it's good to accomplish this degree. I have an associate degree in arts and a BA in Organizational Supervision. 

Where do you go from here? 

I have two years of eligibility to play football. I will be going to Western Kentucky University to complete a master's degree in Entrepreneurship and play my final two years of college football. Hopefully, God will bless me to play in the NFL. I would also like to get into coaching one day. High school coaching is an option but with all the people I know in college, college coaching may be a better fit. I think I can be a good coach. I would like to be able to help kids who are in the position I was once in. I would also like to be a business owner. I have a clothing line that I started but had to put on hold. I hope to pick that up and get into the fashion industry. I want to one day sell my own clothing line. There are different things I want to do outside of football. 

You've been out of high school for 4 years. You have seen and experienced a lot. What would you share with high school athletes and those preparing to go off to college to help them in the process? 

I would share with them that It's not going to always be peaches and cream. You will have lots of trials and tribulations. Things won't always go your way. There will be things with school, back home, etc. Things will get rocky, but the main thing is just keep going and don't look back. Always know your why. Why am I here, why am I doing this? It can be your mom, your grand mom, whatever it is use that to motivate you to keep going and not quit? Keep pushing and always believe in yourself. Self-motivation is the key. If you have faith in God keep that, my faith helped me a lot. I don't want to push religion on anyone, but it helped me. Challenge yourself to want more and to do more. Confidence in yourself is also important. Don’t quit, at the end of the day you want to be successful.

You mentioned the close-knit community and the supportive people. What would you say to those people and the community? 

Thank you to everybody who supported me. I can't express my thanks enough. Loyalty is very important to me. It’s more valuable than gold. Some people probably don't even realize how much they helped me get here today. Anyone who has ever helped me in any kind of way, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m very humble. I will never think that I am better than anyone. Thank you to anyone who contributed to my success.

Any final thing you would like to share with anyone about anything? 

I think we have touched on everything. I want it to be known that I give a huge thank you and much love to my mom, dad, grandmothers, aunt, granddad, and my whole family.  I thank them so much for what they’ve done and how they raised me. Thanks for everything. 

It was a pleasure chatting with Curtis. Curtis could have given up on football when he got injured. He could have given up on college, but he has positioned himself for continued success in both. His dream to play in the NFL is still within reach. He has two college degrees and is in pursuit of another. Because of his athletic scholarship, the financial cost to his family to obtain those degrees has been minimal.

I’ve spent time with many young athletes, students, and people. Curtis Fann Jr. is an outstanding young man. He is wise beyond his years. Curtis is humble and hungry. He is focused. He has a vision, and he has a plan. Curtis Fann will be successful in any endeavor he chooses to pursue. Stillmore and Emanuel County will be rooting for him.

Congratulations, Curtis, and continued success. We wish you well!