Curley Culp

Curley Culp (March 10, 1946 – November 27, 2021) was an American professional football player who played defensive tackle in the American Football League and the National Football League. Born and raised in Yuma, Arizona, he was the youngest of 13 children and had a twin sister, Shirley. At Yuma Union High School he excelled first in football and then in wrestling, winning Arizona state heavyweight wrestling titles in 1963 and 1964, after which he was recruited to Arizona State University to compete in both sports.

At Arizona State, Culp compiled an 84–11–1 wrestling record, won three Western Athletic Conference championships, and captured the 1967 NCAA heavyweight wrestling title, earning the Gorriaran Award for recording the most pins at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Culp began his professional football career with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL in 1968 and 1969, earning AFL All-Star honors in 1969. He continued with the Chiefs in the NFL before playing for the Houston Oilers and the Detroit Lions. Over his career he was selected to six Pro Bowls.