77 Days until football, honoring the legend Curley Culp

As we roll through the often unheralded lineman positions, yesterday's spotlight focused on the career of Levi Brown, the walk-on turned dominant left tackle. With 77 days until kickoff, we turn back to the defensive side of the ball and honor NFL Hall of Famer Curley Culp.

A prized recruit for multiple colleges, Yuma resident Curley Culp decided to stay in Arizona and commit to Arizona State, due to the fact that legendary head coach Frank Kush would allow him to wrestle as well as play football. That accommodation paid off well as Culp was a force on the wrestling mat. A three-time WAC champion and 1967 NCAA heavyweight champion, he went undefeated in his final two seasons, even earning an invitation to try out for the 1968 U.S. Olympic Team.

On the gridiron, Culp was an imposing figure. Standing 6' 1" and 275 lbs, Culp was clocked at 4.6 seconds for his 40 yard dash, presenting a valuable combination of strength and speed. The NCAA did not record comprehensive defensive stats until 2000, however Culp was the centerpiece on the defensive line for the 1967 team that allowed an average of 79.8 yards per game en route to an 8-2 overall record and second place finish in the WAC.

The accolades followed Culp for his football play, twice being named first-team All-WAC (1966-67), and receiving first-team All-American honors in 1967 from The Sporting News and Time Magazine.

After his collegiate career, Culp was drafted in the second round (31st overall) of the 1968 AFL/NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. However, the Broncos intended to play him on the offensive line, a position he had never played before. Before even playing a snap in the NFL he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was played as a defensive tackle and his career took off. In 14 seasons with the Chiefs, Houston Oilers, and Detroit Lions, Culp played in 179 career games, recording 68.5 sacks, unofficially top-50 all-time in NFL history at the time of his retirement (sacks not an official stat until 1982). He also forced 14 fumbles, and recovered 10 over his career.

Culp was a member of the 1969 Chiefs team that went on to defeat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. He was named to six Pro Bowls, first-team All-Pro in 1975, plus second-team All-Pro in 1978 and 1979. His career best 11.5 sacks plus three fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown) in 1975 earned him a second place finish for the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.

In 1975 Culp was inducted into the inaugural Sun Devil Hall of Fame class, and at long last in 2013 he received the call to Canton and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He has also been honored in both the Arizona and National High School Halls of Fame, the Kansas City Chiefs Ring of Honor, among other similar honors. In 1999, he was named the No. 3 athlete in Sports Illustrated's "50 Greatest Sports Figures" from Arizona.

Sadly, Curley passed away in 2021 following a brief battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. His legacy will forever live on in the landscape of Arizona State football.