Curtis Lee Deloatch (born October 4, 1981) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

who played in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He was signed by the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

in 2004. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

at North Carolina A&T. Deloatch was also a member of the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

and

Florida Tuskers Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Early life

Deloatch played

high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...

at Hertford County High School in

Ahoskie, North Carolina Ahoskie ( )
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Ch ...

College career

Deloatch attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. As a redshirt freshman, he played in the team's final eight games as a reserve free safety. He recorded seven tackles (four solo) with nine pass deflections and an interception. He also returned 12 punts for 143 yards (11.9-yard avg.) and five kickoffs for 104 yards (20.8-yard avg.) As a sophomore in 2001, Deloatch was a consensus

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

and first-team All-

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC ) is a List of NCAA conferences, collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and the Mid-A ...

choice. He lined up at free safety and recorded 26 tackles (18 solo) with a stop for a 3-yard loss. Deloatch set school and conference season-records, as he gained 248 yards with a pair of touchdowns on four interceptions. He deflected six passes and returned eight kickoffs for 392 yards (34.0 avg). He set NCAA Division I-AA season-records as he scored five times on 20 punts for a school season-record 530 yards, leading the nation with a 26.5-yard average. As a junior, Deloatch appeared in ten games at strong-side cornerback, recording 14 tackles (ten solo) with an assisted stop for a 3-yard loss. He intercepted a pass, deflected six others and returned 28 punts for 193 yards (6.9 avg). As a senior, Deloatch was an All-MEAC second-team selection as a defensive back. He played in every game and had 21 tackles (15 solo) with an assisted stop for a 3-yard loss. He intercepted four passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. He deflected eight passes and blocked a kick. Deloatch also returned 28 punts for 269 yards (9.6-yard avg.) and three kickoffs for 38 yards.

Professional career

New York Giants

Deloatch played for the

in 2004 and 2005, having been acquired as an undrafted free agent. In 2004, he was one of only two members of the Giants 2004 rookie class to play in all 16 regular season games (the other was linebacker Reggie Torbor.) The majority of action came on special teams and in nickel and dime packages. He finished with 17 tackles (15 solo) and 12 special teams tackles. The following year, he played in all 16 regular season games with 13 starts at right cornerback, plus the NFC Wild Card Game. Finished the season with 54 tackles (45 solo), one interception, a team-high 12 passes defensed, one fumble recovery and four special teams tackles. He was waived by the Giants before the 2006 regular season.

New Orleans Saints

Deloatch was claimed by the

on September 3, 2006. Less than three weeks later, he scored one of the most dramatic touchdowns in Saints history, when he recovered a Michael Koenen punt blocked by Steve Gleason against the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

. Deloatch was a late substitution on the play, told to run onto the field at the last second when Saints special teams coordinator John Bonamego noticed that only 10 men were on the field. He had no preparation for the play, was told to "just go rush the kick." It was the first touchdown in the Saints' first home game in nearly 21 months, since

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

devastated the city.

Carolina Panthers

In 2007, Deloatch signed with the

but tore his ACL in October against the Colts ending his season. He was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

by the

on October 31, 2007. On May 27, 2008, Deloatch was re-signed by the Panthers. He was later released after the Panthers had to cut down their roster size.

Florida Tuskers

Deloatch was signed by the

of the United Football League on August 25, 2009. He was released by the Tuskers on September 22.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deloatch, Curtis 1981 births Living people Players of American football from North Carolina American football cornerbacks American football safeties North Carolina A&T Aggies football players New York Giants players New Orleans Saints players Carolina Panthers players Florida Tuskers players