Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

BD and John...you guys are too funny. LOL

Joe Z.

Don't forget Curtis' last hurrah in 1976 . . . blocking a Tampa Bay field goal in the final seconds to give Seattle their first-ever win in the NFL.

I don't see much of an argument for Mike Curtis for the HoF. His honors are meager at 2/4/none, and he also didn't grade out especially well at Ken Crippen's film study site. The only way I'd consider him is after a whole bunch of other Senior LBs get in, specifically Chuck Howley (5/6/none), Maxie Baughan (5/9/none), Robert Brazile (5/7/70s), Randy Gradishar (4/7/none), Joe Fortunato (3/5/50s), Larry Grantham (5/5/allAFL), Bill Forester (4/4/none), Bill Bergey (4/5/none), Tommy Nobis (2/5/60s), Mike Stratton (3/6/allAFL), and Lee Roy Jordan (2/5/none) more or less in that order. Won't hold my breath until that happens, sorry to say.

The Colts drafted Curtis because Bill Pellington was retiring, but he didn't move into the starting lineup as a rookie in 1965 until late October and first made an impact in the Thanksgiving game at Detroit. Steve Stonebreaker's knee injury opened the door and Curtis did such a good job that the Colts tossed Stonebreaker (who was also injured in 1966) into the expansion draft one year later, where the Saints picked him up.

Week #10, 1970, when Dolphins walloped Colts, dropping them to 7-2-1, wasn't it Curt who yelled at everyone in the locker room afterwards saying that if he sees anyone at all slacking anymore that he'll personal kick his you-know-what?

And you all know what happened from there.

Curtis is rather unique in that he made All Pro as both a 4-3 OLB and a 4-3 MLB. He was a very good player, but as others have pointed out, there is a list of more deserving LBs who are waiting to get into Canton.