Huge Eagles connection for Vinny Curry.

Lifelong Eagles fan Vinny Curry said the best thing that happened to him was being on hand for the retirement ceremony of Brian Dawkins Saturday morning.

Curry, the second-round draft pick out of Marshall, where as a Prop 48 student athlete he sat out the 2007 season to get his grades up, was overwhelmed to attend the retirement ceremony with Eagles past and present. Later current Eagles quarterback Michael Vick told him to lose the fan thing.

"He said 'You're not a fan anymore, you're my teammate," Curry said.

The 6-3, 266-pound Curry, a pure pass rusher graded highly by other NFC teams, believes it's anything but a coincidence he was selected by the Eagles. In addition to his rooting past, Curry worked out with former Eagles defensive line coach Pete Jenkins before the draft. Obviously the Birds got a scouting report.

"I went from meeting Coach Jenkins, training with him, to meeting Coach Andy Reid, to Jim Washburn," Curry said. "It's overwhelming. God has a plan for all of us. He put me here."

And not to be a fan, it appears.

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