BOULDER — Colorado defensive tackle Curtis Cunningham was asked how many interceptions he had while starring at Columbine High School.
Cunningham smiled. That would be none, he said.
None, that is, until he grabbed the ball off the back of a Florida State player last weekend during the second quarter of what would become a 39-21 loss for the Buffaloes in Jacksonville, Fla.
“It’s kind of unusual for a defensive lineman to get an interception,” said Cunningham, a 6-foot-1, 270-pound true freshman who has climbed up CU’s depth chart to become a top reserve along the interior defensive line.
Cunningham batted a pass by FSU quarterback Christian Ponder and then lost track of it.
“I started looking around to see where it was,” Cunningham recalled. “Then I saw this big pile of people coming at me. The ball was just lying on top of some guy’s shoulder, so I took it.”
Because the ball never touched the ground, it was ruled an interception rather than a fumble recovery. Cunningham rambled 10 yards on the return to the Florida State 12-yard line.
“The first thing that came to my mind was, ‘Hold on tight!’ ” he said.
Cunningham, an all-state selection in football and baseball at Columbine, turned his attention toward Saturday’s game against Texas before the team charter from Jacksonville had touched down in Colorado.
“Texas has a very physical football team,” Cunningham said. “They like to run and throw. As a defense, we have to try to create turnovers and make stuff happen.”
Another interception by a CU lineman wouldn’t hurt, either.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
