Curley Culp, a two-sport standout during his time at Arizona State and a member of the Arizona State Hall of Fame, was inducted Saturday into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Culp will join the legends in Canton as part of a seven-member Hall of Fame class, earning one of the two senior selections that are available in each voting class. The newest members of the Hall of Fame were selected from a list of 17 finalists who had been determined earlier by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee.
Culp was an All-American defensive lineman in 1967, as selected by Sporting News and Time, and the same year won the NCAA championship as a heavyweight wrestler, becoming the first ASU wrestler to win a national title. He was the Gorriarian Award recipient for the most pins at that competition and was later named to the 1968 Olympic squad.
The Yuma, Ariz., native was twice named to the All-Western Athletic Conference football team while in Tempe before beginning his professional career with the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL in 1968. While with the Chiefs, he appeared in the 1969 AFL All-Star Game and the 1971 Pro Bowl. He also started at defensive tackle on Kansas City’s Super Bowl IV squad,
helping the Chiefs earn a 23-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
He played in 179 games during 14 seasons of professional football, playing with the Chiefs from 1968-74. He will be the 10th Chiefs players to be elected to the Hall of Fame; he was also inducted into the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame in 2008.
He finished his NFL career playing with both the Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions, playing in five Pro Bowls and earning three All-Pro honors. He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1975 and was a charter induction into the Arizona State Hall of Fame that same season.
Culp joins Packers great Dave Robinson, who received the other senior selection, as well as the five modern-day ballot selections: former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Larry Allen, former coach Bill Parcells, Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter, Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2013 will be formally enshrined in August.
