2015 DETROIT LIONS MEDIA GUIDE

win over Navy.
Prior to coaching, Kocurek spent two years in
the NFL with the Tennessee Titans (2002) and the
Seattle Seahawks (2001) after being selected in
the seventh round (237th overall) of the 2001 NFL
Draft by Seattle.
Kocurek was born November 15, 1978. He
played collegiate football at Texas Tech and was
a three-time All-Big 12 selection. As a senior, he
was selected as team captain and named defensive
player of the year.
KOCUREK’S COACHING BACKGROUND
Detroit Lions................................................. 2009-
Defensive Line.............................................................2010-
Assistant Defensive Line.............................................2009
Stephen F. Austin State University...................2008
Defensive Line...............................................................2008
West Texas A&M.............................................2007
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line.....................2007
Texas A&M-Commerce....................................2006
Defensive Line...............................................................2006
Texas A&M-Kingsville................................2004-05
Graduate Assistant.......................................................2004
Texas Tech......................................................2003
Graduate Assistant.......................................................2003
CURTIS
MODKINS
Running Backs
Years with Lions: 3
Years in NFL: 8
Curtis Modkins enters his eighth year in the NFL
and third with the Detroit Lions. Prior to Detroit,
Modkins was the offensive coordinator/running
backs coach for the Buffalo Bills for three seasons
(2010-12).
LIONS COACHING HIGHLIGHTS
Modkins led the Lions run game to new heights
in his first season with the team in 2013, utilizing
a versatile backfield combination led by RB Joique
Bell to chew up yards between the tackles and
create mismatches in the open field, and continued
the position group’s success with the addition of RB
Theo Riddick into the offense’s game plan in 2014.
‣ ¾ Bell recorded a career-high 860 yards on the
ground to go along with seven rushing touchdowns,
as well as 34 receptions for 322 yards
and one touchdown in 2014.
‣ ¾ In the Lions’ NFC Wild Card game at Dallas (1/4),
Bush scored the team’s second touchdown of the
game on an 18-yard dash in the first quarter that
capped off a 14-play, 99-yard drive. This was
the first 99-yard drive by any team in the postseason
since January 13, 2002 when Baltimore
completed a 99-yard touchdown drive at Miami.
‣ ¾ Riddick tied WR Golden Tate for third on the team
in receiving touchdowns with four as he proved
himself to be a versatile weapon for the Lions
offense in both the running and passing games.
Arguably Riddick’s biggest catches came against
Atlanta in London (10/26) when he caught a
one-handed pass across the middle to keep
the game-winning drive alive, and also against
Miami (11/9) when he caught the game-winning
pass from QB Matthew Stafford with only 3:13
DETROIT LIONS
left to play.
‣ ¾ Detroit ranked third in the NFL in total yards
gained by running backs with 2,769 yards in 2013
(1,690 rushing, 1,079 receiving) as the Lions were
the only team to feature backs who combined
for 1,600+-rushing yards and 1,000+-receiving
yards.
‣ ¾ Detroit and San Diego were the only teams who
featured running back units who finished in the
Top-8 (8th) in rushing yards and Top-5 in receiving
yards (2nd) in 2013.
‣ ¾ Under Modkins’ guidance, Bush (1,006 rushing,
506 receiving) and Bell (651 rushing, 547 receiving)
became the first running back tandem in NFL
history to both register 500+-rushing yards and
500+-receiving yards in the same season.
‣ ¾ Bush’s 1,006 rushing yards and 506 receiving
yards made him the first Lions running back
with 1,500 total yards since RB Barry Sanders
registered 1,780 total yards in 1998.
‣ ¾ Bush also became the first Lions rusher to
reach 1,000 yards since RB Kevin Jones had
1,133 in 2004.
‣ ¾ In total yards, Bush finished the season ranked
fifth in the NFL with 108.0 yards per game. In the
14 games he played, he tallied 1,512 total yards.
‣ ¾ Bell finished sixth in the NFL in receiving yards
by running backs (547) and was also tied for 11th
in rushing touchdowns with eight.
In 2012, Modkins coordinated the Bills offense
that ranked fourth in rushing average (5.0) and sixth
in rushing yards (2,217).
Buffalo was fourth in the NFL (led AFC) in 2011
with a 4.9-yard average, also the fourth-best
in Bills history and highest since 1975. RB Fred
Jackson (5.5 avg., 1st in AFC) and RB C.J. Spiller
(5.2 avg., 5th in AFC) both finished the year with an
average of 5.0-plus yards.
In 2010, Buffalo was one of five AFC teams
with a 3,000-yard passer and two players with
1,000 scrimmage yards (WR Stevie Johnson and
Jackson).
Prior to joining the Bills, Modkins was the
running backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals
in 2009. Following a brief stint as the offensive
coordinator at Colorado State, he entered the NFL
coaching ranks as the running backs coach for the
Kansas City Chiefs in 2008.
From 2002-07, he worked at Georgia Tech, first
as the school’s defensive backs coach in 2002
and then as running backs coach from 2003-07.
Modkins enjoyed a successful four-year tenure at
New Mexico from 1998-2001 as the cornerbacks
coach, and started his coaching career at his alma
mater, Texas Christian University, where he served
as a graduate assistant in 1995, secondary coach
in 1996 and tight ends coach in 1997.
Modkins was a three-time intern through
the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship program,
working with the following teams: Philadelphia
Eagles (Head Coach Ray Rhodes) in 1997, Dallas
Cowboys (Head Coach Chan Gailey) in 1999 and
Pittsburgh Steelers (Head Coach Bill Cowher) in
2005.
Modkins was a three-year starter for TCU and a
led the Horned Frogs in rushing from 1990-92. He
finished his career third on the school’s all-time
rushing list with 2,763 yards and was twice named
EXECUTIVES AND COACHING