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49 °F 5 Day Forecast Monday, October 20, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 3, 2003 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? KERRY CURTIS, North Medford, 1994 By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Kerry Curtis created some memorable footsteps when he led North Medford to its last state football championship. A decade later, he’s following in the footsteps of his father, Ken, who retired from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department early this year. Advertisement Kerry Curtis, 27, has been a Medford police patrol officer for five years, handling calls in 12-hour shifts Thursday through Saturday nights. It’s a profession that has long fascinated him. "I remember my dad putting on his uniform at home," says Curtis. "It’s kind of been something I’ve always wanted to do." When he’s set out on foot after a perpetrator, the suspect probably wasn’t aware of Curtis’ background. When North Medford defeated Ashland, 27-24, for the 1993 Class 4A crown, Curtis ran for 141 yards and two key touchdowns on 14 carries. He also caught two screen passes for 71 yards. The Black Tornado trailed 18-7 at halftime but went ahead on a Curtis 34-yard run late in the third quarter and clinched it on his 10-yard run with 4½ minutes to play. "It was 10 years ago," says Curtis, "and it seems like an eternity, but at the same time, it seems like it was just yesterday." He remembers big plays, the halftime speech of coach Rod Rumrey and the conflicting emotions of realizing a state title but knowing it represented your final football game. "It was an incredible experience and pretty heartbreaking at the same time," he says. Curtis, who was named the offensive player of the year in the Southern Oregon Conference that fall and later in the school year set the baseball single- season record of 44 hits, has seen benefits from participation in athletics since he left the competitive arena. After high school, he played baseball for a year at Portland State University, then a season at Chemeketa Community College in Salem before hanging up his spikes and enrolling at Southern Oregon University. He stayed close to the games by officiating football, basketball and baseball. He now works only football. Curtis credits football with teaching him about discipline and how to deal with adversity. As a sophomore, he and a half-dozen classmates were thrown to the wolves in the SOC. Two years later, they reigned supreme. "We went through a lot of adversity to begin with," says Curtis, "dealing with the disappointment of having to make ourselves better over the years. The hard work we put in and the ability to handle adversity and bounce back from setbacks, I think, carried over to my personal life and certainly to my professional life as a police officer. You have to be able to stay focused, not let little things bother you and continue to move on and make yourself better at everything." Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times