{"id":23310,"date":"2021-11-27T21:57:53","date_gmt":"2021-11-28T03:57:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=23310"},"modified":"2021-11-27T21:57:53","modified_gmt":"2021-11-28T03:57:53","slug":"hall-of-fame-defensive-lineman-who-helped-the-kansas-city-chiefs-win-their-first-super-bowl-during-a-14-year-nfl-career-curley-culp-dies-at-75","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=23310","title":{"rendered":"Hall of Fame defensive lineman who helped the Kansas City Chiefs win their first Super Bowl during a 14-year NFL career, Curley Culp, dies at 75"},"content":{"rendered":"

KANSAS CITY, Mo. \u2014 Curley Culp, the Hall of Fame defensive lineman who helped the Kansas City Chiefs win their first Super Bowl during a 14-year NFL career, died Saturday of complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 75.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Culp announced this month that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His wife, Collette Bloom Culp, announced \u201con behalf of our family and with a broken heart\u201d the five-time All-Pro’s death.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Curley Culp. He was a wonderful man of great integrity who respected the game of football and how it applied to everyday life,\u201d Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said. \u201cCurley\u2019s humility and grace were always apparent.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Culp was considered one of the strongest players in the NFL during his playing career, though his position on the interior of the defensive line meant his play often went unnoticed. He was chosen to participate in six Pro Bowls, and he was second to Steelers cornerback Mel Blount for AP Defensive Player of the Year after the 1975 season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Kansas<\/strong><\/p>\n
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@CurleyCulp<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

It wasn’t until long after his playing days \u2014 Culp retired in 1981 \u2014 that he was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame. But after his enshrinement in 2013, Culp proudly wore the golden jacket of a Hall of Famer seemingly everywhere he went.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Our team certainly lost a great one today,\u201d Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. \u201cCurley was a game changer for our defense when he came to us in the trade with the Chiefs and was pivotal to our success during the Luv Ya Blue days. He rightfully earned a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and I was fortunate to spend some quality time with Curley and his wife Collette when we hosted the Oilers reunion this past September.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“They also brought two of their young grandchildren for that weekend and Curley\u2019s love for those two was very obvious. He will forever be remembered as a ferocious nose tackle as a player and a Hall of Fame gentleman off the field.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Culp learned to use his speed and leverage while at Arizona State. He was an All-American in football for the Sun Devils and, standing 6 feet and weighing about 265 pounds, won the heavyweight national championship in wrestling.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Denver Broncos selected Culp in the second round of the 1965 draft with the idea of turning him into an offensive guard. But when it became clear that wasn’t going to work, they traded him to the Chiefs, where Hank Stram plugged him into the middle of a defensive line that ultimately would take Kansas City all the way to the Super Bowl.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I proved them wrong,\u201d Culp told The Associated Press in a 2013 phone interview. \u201cA little fireplug, that\u2019s me.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

lete,\u201d while Thomas called him \u201cornery as hell.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Culp was traded to the Oilers in 1974, and he had arguably his best season the following year. He remained in Houston through the 1980 season, and then spent one season in Detroit before announcing his retirement.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He would often show up for Chiefs games in later years, and he stayed in touch with many of his old teammates. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2008, less than two years after Lamar Hunt\u2019s death.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Curley Culp<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Curley Culp<\/strong><\/caption>\n
\"refer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Culp playing with the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 61, 78, 77<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Position:<\/strong><\/th>\nDefensive tackle<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Personal information<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Born:<\/strong><\/th>\nMarch 10, 1946<\/strong>
\nYuma, Arizona<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Died:<\/strong><\/th>\nNovember 27, 2021 (aged\u00a075)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Height:<\/strong><\/th>\n6\u00a0ft 1\u00a0in (1.85\u00a0m)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight:<\/strong><\/th>\n265\u00a0lb (120\u00a0kg)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career information<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
High school:<\/strong><\/th>\nYuma (AZ)<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
College:<\/strong><\/th>\nArizona State<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NFL Draft:<\/strong><\/th>\n1968<\/a>\u00a0\/ Round:\u00a02\u00a0\/ Pick:\u00a031<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career history<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
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\u00a0* Offseason and\/or practice squad member only<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career highlights and awards<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
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Career NFL statistics<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
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Forced fumbles<\/a>:<\/strong><\/th>\n14<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fumble recoveries:<\/strong><\/th>\n10<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Player stats at NFL.com<\/a>\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0PFR<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Pro Football Hall of Fame<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Culp (right) stopping a Vikings running play during Super Bowl IV<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Curley Culp (March 10, 1946 \u2013 November 27, 2021) was a professional American football<\/a> player. An offensive<\/a> and defensive lineman<\/a>, he played college football<\/a> at Arizona State University<\/a>, was the NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion while at ASU, and played professionally in the American Football League<\/a> for the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> in 1968 and 1969, and in the National Football League<\/a> for the Chiefs, Houston Oilers<\/a>, and Detroit Lions<\/a>. He was an AFL All-Star<\/a> in 1969 and a six-time AFC<\/a>\u2013NFC<\/a> Pro Bowler<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Early life and education<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Curley Culp grew up in Yuma, Arizona<\/a>, the youngest of 13 children including a twin sister, Shirley. At Yuma Union High School<\/a> he was a standout first in football and then in wrestling, winning state high school titles as a heavyweight in 1963 and 1964.<\/sup> He was recruited to Arizona State University<\/a> to play both sports.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Collegiate career<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Wrestling<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

At Arizona State, Culp amassed a 84-11-1 record, three Western Athletic Conference<\/a> championships, and was the 1967 NCAA heavyweight champion<\/a>,<\/sup> winning the Gorriaran Award for scoring the most falls<\/a> at the Division I championships.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Football<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Under legendary Arizona State football coach Frank Kush<\/a>, Culp played nose guard, including on the 1967 team that allowed opponents an average of only 79.8 yards per game. He won All-America honors in football as well as wrestling.<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

Professional career<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Kansas City Chiefs<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Denver Broncos<\/a> drafted Culp in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft, but considered him too small for the defensive line<\/a> at 6’1″ and 265\u00a0lbs. After trying him at guard, they dealt him during training camp to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick<\/sup> (Mike Schnitker<\/a>). He played for Kansas City for seven seasons, appearing in 82 games, achieving nine sacks<\/a> in 1973 with nine QB takedowns, and also recovering five fumbles<\/a> during his career with the team.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Culp’s role as a nose tackle in the pros actually took root in Super Bowl IV<\/a>, where he was a starting defensive tackle<\/a>. Chiefs coach Hank Stram<\/a>, in an attempt to nullify the Minnesota Vikings<\/a>‘ quick outside rushing attack, decided to line Culp directly nose-to-nose with Vikings center<\/a>, Mick Tingelhoff<\/a>. The smaller Tingelhoff could not block Culp one-on-one and had to be helped by the other linemen. This freed teammates, Buck Buchanan<\/a>, Willie Lanier<\/a>, and other Chiefs defenders to get into the Vikings offensive backfield and shut down their running game. The effectiveness of the Chiefs’ defensive game plan helped continue the growing popularity of the 3-4 scheme in the 1970s from the college to pro ranks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Houston Oilers<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

When Culp arrived in Houston, Bum Phillips<\/a> was the defensive coordinator<\/a> for Sid Gillman<\/a>. He had convinced the head coach<\/a> to try a 3-4 defense, employing three down linemen and four linebackers, eschewing the standard 4-3 fronts<\/a> of the day. In basically an exchange of defensive tackles who had threatened to jump to the World Football League<\/a>, the Oilers acquired Culp and a first-round draft choice in 1975<\/a> from the Chiefs for John Matuszak<\/a> on October 22, 1974. Both Culp and Matuszak had signed contracts with the Southern California Sun<\/a> and Shreveport Steamer<\/a> respectively.<\/sup> It became known as one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history,\u00a0 made worse for the Chiefs when the Oilers selected Robert Brazile<\/a> with the draft pick.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Culp was so strong he required two and three players to block<\/a> him, opening lanes for Elvin Bethea<\/a>, Gregg Bingham<\/a>, Ted Washington, Sr.<\/a> and later Brazile. Houston won seven of their remaining nine games after Curley came to Houston. As Phillips later said, “Curley made (the 3-4 defense) work. He made me look smart.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a nose tackle, injuries and age began to take their toll. Midway through the 1980 season<\/a>, Culp was released and was claimed by Detroit, where he stayed an additional season before closing out his 14-year NFL career.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So great was his impact that the Sporting News<\/a><\/i> named Culp to the All-Century teams of both the Kansas City and Houston\/Tennessee franchises.\u00a0<\/sup> Hall-Of-Famer center Jim Otto<\/a> of the Raiders called him “perhaps the strongest man I ever lined up against”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Legacy<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Culp is regarded as the NFL’s greatest nose tackle.<\/sup> He played a total of 13 seasons in the AFL\/NFL, and was selected to a total of six AFL All-Star Games or Pro Bowls. He was twice honored as the Associated Press<\/a> Defensive Player of the Week.\u00a0 In 1975, he won All-Pro<\/a> honors and was chosen NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Newspaper Enterprise Association<\/a> and as such received the George S. Halas Trophy<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He was inducted into the Arizona State University Sports Hall of Fame at its inception in 1975, and was named Greatest Athlete in the history of Arizona during the state’s centennial in 2006.<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

Culp is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs 25-Year All-Time Team,\u00a0 and in March 2008 was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On August 3, 2013, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame<\/a>.<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

Death<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Culp announced on November 16, 2021, that he had been diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/sup> He died eleven days later at the age of 75.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. \u2014 Curley Culp, the Hall of Fame defensive lineman who helped the Kansas City Chiefs win their first Super Bowl during a 14-year NFL career, died Saturday of complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 75. Culp announced this month that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His wife, Collette Bloom […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2405,11,8,1314,2432,1456,1156,2416,13,2404,2406,14,104,124,39,7,9,10],"tags":[4926,4925,4924,4927,4923],"class_list":["post-23310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-business","category-entertainment","category-global-business-entrepreneurs","category-global-gamers","category-global-news-updates-and-more","category-global-sports","category-hall-of-fame","category-health","category-high-school-sports","category-mbs-hss","category-most-commented","category-ncaa","category-ncaa-football","category-nfl","category-sports","category-us","category-world","tag-1946-yuma","tag-77-position-defensive-tackle-personal-information-born-march-10","tag-4924","tag-arizona-died-november-27","tag-curley-culprefer-to-caption-culp-playing-with-the-chiefs-in-super-bowl-iv-no-61","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}