Former Colts great Mike Curtis has died (Merge)

[coltsfansince65]

24 minutes ago, unitas2berry said:

Just read where it was CTE related. Lots of old Colts suffered brain related injuries.

 

Not doubting you but......Do you have a source?

[Dogg63]

18 minutes ago, coltsfansince65 said:

Not doubting you but......Do you have a source?

"On Monday morning, one of his caretakers called to inform me that Curtis had died peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones in St. Petersburg, Florida, from complications of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head injuries"

 

https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/04/20/former-baltimore-colts-great-mad-dog-mike-curtis-dies-77/5164882002/

[coltsfansince65]

12 minutes ago, Dogg63 said:

"On Monday morning, one of his caretakers called to inform me that Curtis had died peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones in St. Petersburg, Florida, from complications of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head injuries"

 

https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/04/20/former-baltimore-colts-great-mad-dog-mike-curtis-dies-77/5164882002/

Thank you. I have since found this article and another in the Tampa Bay Press sighting the same information. Again, I was not questioning the information I had just not found that until tonight. 

Mike Curtis should be in the Hall of Fame.

 

[Caffrey]

One my favorite Colts.

 

Some memories:

 

It is fitting he made the game winning interception in our Super Bowl V victory.  Followed, 3 plays later with Jim O'Brien game winning FB.

 

His Clothesline tackle was textbook, especially the one he got QB Roman Gabriel by the head for a sack, when the Rams were Division Rivals, East Coast vs West Coast division rivals.  He Helmet Clothesline would be a illegal now but was legal back then.

 

I remember he was Pro Football Weekly All-Pro OLB in the year we lost SB III.  Dick Butkus was the All-Pro MLB, the other OLB was George Webster who played collage ball with Bubba Smith at Michigan St.  I think a key play was to highlight Curtis was in the Divisional playoff win over the Vikings, Bubba hit the QB who fumbled and the ball went into Curtis hands without touching the ground and he ran it for about 56 yards fumble return for a TD.

 

Speaking of Bubba, I remember a funny story of having dinner at Mike Curtis home and he was only given one piece of chicken.  Mrs Curtis must have know Bubba was at least a 3, maybe 4 piece chicken dinner man.  Bubba said he had to stop at KFC on the way home.  Both Great Colts RIP. 

 

Curtis later moved to MLB, replacing Dennis Gaubatz, allowing Ted Hendricks to move to OLB along with Ray May who came from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we had a great LB trio and defense, lead by Mike Curtis and Bubba Smith.   Ted Hendricks was young enroute to the Hall of Fame.  The underrated player was the RDE Roy Hilton, he could rush the QB.

 

Anyway, thanks Mike Curtis for the memories and appeared to have a good career after football.

 

 

[King Colt]

I miss the days when linebackers slaughtered some guy then stood over him pointing at him and saying things that were only meant to ridicule. Lambert and Curtis were good at that.