Curley Culp, nose curator of the Hall of Fame for Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Oilers, dies at 75

Curley Culp, a Hall of Fame pundit who has starred for Chief of Kansas City and Houston Oilers, have passed away, his wife announced on Twitter. He is 75 years old.

In November, Culp announced that he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer.

Culp’s widow, Collette Bloom Culp, used her late husband’s Twitter feed to announced his death.

“The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Curley Culp,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. “He was a wonderful man with great integrity who respected the game of football and how it applies to everyday life. Curley’s humility and grace were always evident. He loves the Hall of Fame – always proudly wearing the yellow jacket when visiting Canton many times after his election in 2013.”

Curley Culp was the second-round draft pick of Dancer broncos in 1968, but was exchanged for Chiefs in training camp. Primarily a defensive tackle, Culp turned to a nose tackle in Kansas City’s Super Bowl IV win before Minnesota Vikings because the team successfully tested a 3-4 defense that was relatively new to the NFL at the time.

After six seasons with the captain, Culp was changed to the Oilers before the start of the 1974 season. A year later, Culp was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year and became the only All-Pro team for the first time. the best of his career, as he thrived playing in Bum Phillips’ 3-4 formation.

Culp was released by the Oilers during the 1980 season and was picked up by Detroit Lion. He finished the 1980 season with the Lions before retiring after the 1981 season.

Culp was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. The Arizona-born player was also named the state’s greatest athlete in 2006, as part of the state’s centenary celebrations. In addition to standing out on the football field while competing at Arizona State, Culp was also the NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion in 1967.