In his time at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, McClendon Curtis has enjoyed great success both on and off the football field.
Twice he's been selected for the All-Southern Conference first team as an offensive lineman.
Where academics are concerned, he's been named a finalist for the Doris Robinson Award, which honors the scholar-athlete of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision, and Curtis is also part of the NCAA Football Oversight Committee Student-Athlete Connection group. He graduated with a degree in sport management last spring.
His 6-foot-8, 340-pound stature already makes him a standout figure on campus, but more than anything else, it could be his cooking that will take his UTC legacy to the next level.
It's something Curtis learned growing up in Chattanooga, being observant while people were in the kitchen. He's just taken his skills to UTC.
"When I got to college, I did a little bit of cooking my freshman and sophomore year, just to try it," the former Central High School standout said this week. "It was good. I learned how to season stuff the way I like it, and nine times out of 10, if the chef likes it, then people are going to like it. That's how I learned, and now I love my kitchen stuff."
He has expanded his talents, too. Recently it was air-fried grilled cheese, something Curtis noted people usually do on cast iron. He prefers to use his cast iron for steaks.
What else has he made? Chinese food made the list. So did soul food. He's dabbled in different types of tacos, and he's made pasta with his own homemade sauce. Desserts? How about banana pudding cheesecake? Brownies? Strawberry cheesecake?
"Best cook on the team," linebacker Ty Boeck said earlier this week, while noting that defensive end Devonnsha Maxwell also makes the list due to his wings. "He (Curtis) makes some really good Cajun pasta."
Said head coach Rusty Wright: "Everybody says it's pretty good. I hadn't ventured out myself and tried it, so I'm going to wait and do that, but everybody says it's good and he does it up right, so we've got to try it one day."
On the field, Curtis has been experimenting with a move to left tackle during spring practices after spending the past couple of seasons at right guard on an experienced unit. The Mocs lost three full-time starters on the line as well as part-time starter Blake Mitchell from last season's 6-5 club, so obviously some changes were going to be made.
Nothing is concrete, but considering some of the returning players in the position group have never gone through traditional spring practices at UTC (the COVID-19 pandemic led to their cancellation in 2020, and the 2020 FCS season being delayed to spring 2021 knocked out last year's drills), having a player who knows the process (and is also really good) certainly helps as new offensive line coach Kevin Revis attempts to put the pieces together.
"I'm just trying to help the best I can with communication, making sure they mentally lock in because that helps them," said Curtis, who redshirted as a freshman in 2017 before appearing in 10 games the following year and starting 12 as a sophomore in 2019. "You can clean up technique, but you have to mentally buy into being an offensive lineman because there's so many rules. If you know your rules, you'll be fine like 99% of the time. Sometimes you'll get beat, but that's technique and you can bounce back from that.
"But this (left tackle) is different. I've been thrown around at different positions, but other guys have, too. I want to get better, you want to be better for the betterment of your team."
And if he figures this out, he can add it to his ever-growing list of college accomplishments.
Right below cooking.
NFL hopefuls
The Mocs held their annual pro day Thursday morning at Scrappy Moore Field, with 10 former players working out for 20-plus representatives of NFL teams, according to a UTC release.
Defensive backs made up the largest group, with Brandon Dowdell, Rashun Freeman, Jordan Jones and Jerrell Lawson taking part, followed by a trio of wide receivers - Reggie Henderson, Kanore McKinnon and Tyrin Summers - as well as tight end Chris James, offensive lineman Cole Strange and linebacker/defensive lineman Montez Wilson.
Strange entered the day with a well-established profile as a prospect after taking part in both the Senior Bowl in early February in Mobile, Alabama, and the NFL combine a month later in Indianapolis. The 6-foot-6, 301-pounder is expected to go no later than the middle rounds when the draft is held April 28-30 in Las Vegas.
The most recent UTC player drafted was also an offensive lineman, with Corey Levin taken by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round in 2017. Other former Mocs have signed with NFL teams since then as undrafted free agents, and pro days can lead to such opportunities.
"All you want for them is a chance," Wright said in UTC's release. "You want them to get a shot in a good place. Get into a camp and show what they can do."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.