HOUSTON – The Houston Oilers’ “Luv Ya Blue” family has lost one of its legends with the passing Saturday of Hall of Fame nose tackle Curley Culp. Culp’s wife Collette announced her husband had died on Twitter Saturday morning.
As KPRC 2 Sports reported last week, Culp had announced on his Twitter page that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer and asked those who were interested to donate to a local cancer organization.
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In his tweet, Culp added “Love life, family and friends. Pray to God for all physical and spiritual healing. Love, Curley Culp HOF #13.”
Culp came to Houston in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs and played with the Oilers from the beginning in 1974 through the Luv Ya Blue era that saw the Oilers’ fan base embrace the players and the team. Culp was a star on the Oilers defense alongside fellow Hall of Famers Robert Brazile and Elvin Bethea. All played under legendary head coach Bum Phillips.
Culp, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, won a Super Bowl title while a member of the Chiefs where he played from 1968 through 1974.