.jpg) Culp playing with the Chiefs inSuper Bowl IV | |||||||
| No. 61, 78, 77 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| 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) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Yuma Union | ||||||
| College | Arizona State | ||||||
| NFL draft | 1968: 2nd round, 31st overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
| |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Collegiate Wrestling | ||
| Representing theArizona State Sun Devils | ||
| NCAA Division I Championships | ||
 | 1967 Kent | Heavyweight |
Curley Culp (March 10, 1946 – November 27, 2021) was an American professionalfootball player who was adefensive tackle in theAmerican Football League (AFL) andNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football atArizona State University, where he was also an NCAA heavyweightwrestling champion. He played football in the AFL for theKansas City Chiefs in 1968 and 1969, and in the NFL for the Chiefs,Houston Oilers, andDetroit Lions. He was anAFL All-Star in 1969 and a six-timePro Bowler.
Curley Culp grew up inYuma, Arizona, the youngest of 13 children including a twin sister, Shirley. AtYuma Union High School, he was a standout first infootball and then inwrestling, winning Arizona high school wrestling state titles at heavyweight in 1963 and 1964.[1] He was recruited toArizona State University to play both sports.
At Arizona State, Culp amassed a 84–11–1 record, threeWestern Athletic Conference championships, and was the 1967 NCAA heavyweight champion,[1] winning the Gorriaran Award for scoring the mostpins at theNCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.[2]
Under legendary Arizona State football coachFrank Kush, 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.[1]
TheDenver Broncos drafted Culp in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft, but considered him too small for thedefensive line at 6'1" and 265 lbs. After trying him at guard, they dealt him during training camp to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick[1] (Mike Schnitker).[3] He played for Kansas City for seven seasons, appearing in 82 games, achieving ninesacks in 1973 with nine QB takedowns, and also recovering fivefumbles during his career with the team.[4]
Culp's role as a nose tackle in the pros actually took root inSuper Bowl IV, where he was a startingdefensive tackle. Chiefs coachHank Stram, in an attempt to nullify theMinnesota Vikings' quick outside rushing attack, decided to line Culp directly nose-to-nose with Vikingscenter,Mick Tingelhoff. The smaller Tingelhoff could not block Culp one-on-one and had to be helped by the other linemen. This freed teammatesBuck Buchanan,Willie Lanier, 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.
When Culp arrived in Houston,Bum Phillips was thedefensive coordinator forSid Gillman. He had convinced thehead coach to try a 3-4 defense, employing three down linemen and four linebackers, eschewing the standard4–3 fronts of the day. In basically an exchange of defensive tackles who had threatened to jump to theWorld Football League, the Oilers acquired Culp and a first-round draft choice in1975 from the Chiefs forJohn Matuszak on October 22, 1974. Both Culp and Matuszak had signed contracts with theSouthern California Sun andShreveport Steamer respectively.[5] It became known as one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history,[6] made worse for the Chiefs when the Oilers selectedRobert Brazile with the draft pick.[1]
Culp was so strong he required two and three players toblock him, opening lanes forElvin Bethea,Gregg Bingham,Ted Washington, Sr. 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."[7]
Playing as a nose tackle, Culp suffered injuries, and age began to take its toll. Midway through the1980 season, Culp was released and was claimed by Detroit, where he stayed an additional season before closing out his 14-year NFL career.
So great was his impact that theSporting News named Culp to the All-Century teams of both the Kansas City and Houston/Tennessee franchises.[8] Hall-Of-Famer centerJim Otto of the Raiders called him "perhaps the strongest man I ever lined up against".[3]
Culp is regarded as the NFL's greatest nose tackle.[6] 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 theAssociated Press Defensive Player of the Week.[4] In 1975, he wonAll-Pro honors and was chosen NFL Defensive Player of the Year by theNewspaper Enterprise Association and as such received theGeorge Halas Trophy.[9]
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.[3]
Culp is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs 25-Year All-Time Team,[4] and in March 2008 was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame.[1]
On August 3, 2013, he was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame.[1][4][10]
Culp announced on November 16, 2021, that he had been diagnosed with Stage IVpancreatic cancer.[11] He died eleven days later at the age of 75.[12]
Media related toCurley Culp at Wikimedia Commons