Former Houston Oiler Curley Culp dies at 75

We are paying our respects to former Houston Oilers great Curley Culp, who died Nov. 27 from Stage IV pancreatic cancer at the age of 75. Culp was a former NFL player who was an offensive and defensive lineman. He played college football at Arizona State University, where he was also an NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion. He played football professionally in the American Football League (AFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1968 and 1969, and in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chiefs, Houston Oilers, and Detroit Lions. He was an AFL All-Star in 1969 and a six-time AFC–NFC Pro Bowler. Culp grew up in Yuma, Arizona, the youngest of 13 children including a twin sister, Shirley. At Yuma Union High School he was a standout first in football and then in wrestling, winning state high school titles as a heavyweight in 1963 and 1964. He was recruited to Arizona State University to play both sports. At Arizona State, Culp amassed a 84-11-1 record, three Western Athletic Conference championships, and was the 1967 NCAA heavyweight champion, winning the Gorriaran Award for scoring the most falls at the Division I championships. Under legendary Arizona State football coach Frank 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. The Denver Broncos drafted Culp in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft, but considered v. him too small for the defensive 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 (Mike Schnitker). He played for Kansas City for seven seasons, appearing in 82 games, achieving nine sacks in 1973 with nine QB takedowns, and also recovering five fumbles during his career with the team. Culp’s role as a nose tackle in the pros actually took root in Super Bowl IV, where he was a starting defensive tackle. Chiefs coach Hank Stram, in an attempt to nullify the Minnesota […]

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