Elvin bethea

Emmitt thomas
Willie lanier
Bobby bell

•

Curley Culp

American football player (1946–2021)

American football player

Culp playing with the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV
Position:	Defensive tackle
Born:	(1946-03-10)March 10, 1946 Yuma, Arizona, U.S.
Died:	November 27, 2021(2021-11-27) (aged 75) Pearland, Texas, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	265 lb (120 kg)
High school:	Yuma Union (Yuma, Arizona)
College:	Arizona State
NFL draft:	1968 / round: 2 / pick: 31
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Curley Culp (March 10, 1946 – November 27, 2021) was an American professional footballdefensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State University, where he was also an NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion. He played football professionally in the AFL for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1968 and 1969, and in the NFL for the Chiefs, Houston Oilers, and Detroit Lions. He was an AFL All-Star in 1969

•

Curley Culp (1946 - 2021)

I knew Curley near the end of his time with the Houston Oilers, and during his final, brief stint with the Detroit Lions. Curley kept his home in Houston while playing for Detroit, and I continued to see him at the gym a few times a week during the off-season.

Curley was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round. They tried him at guard, but during training camp decided that he was too small to play defensive line and they traded him to Kansas City in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. Something I'm sure Denver came to regret. Curley was a little smaller than many other D-linemen at about 6'1" and roughly 265. Today, defensive ends are typically over 6'4" and average about 280, while interior defensive linemen go around 6'3" and average about 310 pounds.

But Curley was not typical. His speed, reaction time, natural strength, and intelligence are why he had a storied 13-season NFL career with a Super Bowl ring, six Pro Bowl selections, the George Halas Trophy as NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year, and was a member of the 2013 class of th

•

InterMat Rewind: Curley Culp

"He had muscles on top of muscles on top of muscles ..."

Curley Culp

"His strategy was just to get his hands on his opponent and destroy him with his strength."

He stood 6' 2", and weighed in at 265 pounds.

He won the heavyweight title by pinning his finals opponent in just 51 seconds.

He was so tough and strong, he reportedly broke the helmets of three of his college football teammates during on-field practice sessions.

... yet, by contrast, he was voted "Boy with the Best Smile" by his college classmates.

All these wide-ranging statements describe the same guy: Curley Culp, 1967 NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ for Arizona State who was also a football standout, first for the Sun Devils, then over a 14-year NFL career that just culminated by being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on Saturday, Aug. 3.

Let's meet the man who was a superstar on the wrestling mat and on the football field, who despite his imposing physique and impressive strength, was considered to be a true gentleman, even by his op