Curley Culp Curley Culp ( born March 10 , 1946 , in Yuma , Arizona ) is a former professional American football player and a hall of famer . An offensive and defensive lineman , he played college football at Arizona State University , was the NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion while at ASU , and played professionally in the American Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1968 and 1969 , and for the National Football League Chiefs , Houston Oilers , and the Detroit Lions . He was an AFL All - Star in 1969 and a six - time AFC - NFC Pro Bowl er . On February 2 , 2013 , Culp was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . Professional career . Kansas City Chiefs . At 6 ' 1 " and 265 lbs , Culp was considered a bit too short for the defensive line and a bit too slow to play linebacker . He moved from Denver to Kansas City in search of a team that could properly utilize his unique talents . Culp ' s play as a nose tackle actually took root in Super Bowl IV . Chiefs coach , Hank Stram , in an attempt to nullify the Minnesota Vikings ' quick outside rushing attack , decided to line Culp directly nose - to - nose with Vikings center , Mick Tingelhoff . The smaller Tingelhoff could not block Culp one - on - one and had to be helped by the other linemen . This freed teammates , Buck Buchanan , Willie Lanier , and other Chiefs defenders to get into the Vikings offensive backfield and shut down their running game . This game is often credited as the advent of the 3 - 4 defense . “ Curley Culp was a tremendous athlete , ” Pro Football Hall of Fame QB , Len Dawson , said . “ He had such strength and quickness . I remember Jack Rudnay used to say that every center in the league should have to go against Curley in order to know what it ’ s like to go against the very best . ” Culp helped anchor the Kansas City defensive line during one of the greatest eras of Chiefs football . Heralded as one of the quickest defensive linemen in the league , Culp spent seven seasons in Kansas City ( 1968 – 1974 ) . He was a starting defensive tackle on the Chiefs Super Bowl IV squad and appeared in 82 games with Kansas City . A member of the Chiefs 25 - Year All - Time Team , Culp played in the 1969 AFL All - Star Game and the 1971 Pro Bowl . He was twice honored as the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Week and claimed the Chiefs unofficial sack crown in 1973 with nine QB takedowns . Culp also registered five fumble recoveries in his Kansas City career . Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions . When Culp got to Houston , Bum Phillips was the defensive coordinator for Sid Gillman at the time . He had convinced the head coach to try a 3 - 4 defense , employing three down linemen and four linebackers , eschewing the standard 4 - 3 fronts of the day . The Oilers acquired Culp midway through the 1974 season for troubled DT John Matuszak . Culp had signed to play in the rival World Football League for 1975 , so the Chiefs thought they were unloading a problem of their own . Culp outlived the new league and then some . It turned out to be one of the best trades in Oiler history . Culp was so strong he required two and three players to block him , opening lanes for Elvin Bethea , Gregg Bingham and Ted Washington , Sr . ( and soon Robert Brazile , the player Houston drafted with the first - round pick that came with Culp ) . Houston won seven of their remaining nine games after Curley came to Houston . As Phillips later said , " Curley made ( the 3 - 4 defense ) work . He made me look smart . " Culp ' s finest season came in 1975 . He notched 11½ sacks , an unheard of total for a defensive tackle . He won All - Pro honors and was chosen NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Newspaper Enterprise Association and as such received the George S . Halas Trophy . The nose tackle position would become notorious for shortening careers . As linemen attacked Curley from every angle , injuries and age began to take their toll . Midway through the 1980 season , Culp was released and was claimed by Detroit , where he stayed an additional season , before closing out his 14 - year NFL career . So great was his impact that the " Sporting News " named Culp to the All - Century teams of both the Kansas City and Houston / Tennessee franchises . Or more to the point , as voiced by Hall - Of - Famer center , Jim Otto of the Raiders , " Curley Culp was perhaps the strongest man I ever lined up against . " Houston Highlight : In a September 1975 game against the San Diego Chargers , Culp scooped up a Charger fumble and rumbled 38 yards . Even though teammate Elvin Bethea yelled that Curley was going the wrong way , he managed to find the correct end zone for the only points of his NFL career . The score helped Houston beat San Diego , 33 - 17 , and secured the Oilers ' first 2 - 0 start since 1966 . Houston finished the 1975 season with a 10 - 4 record . Collegiate Wrestling . Curley Culp won the Gorriaran Award at the 1967 NCAA Division I championships . Legacy . In January 2008 he was voted by a panel of former NFL players and coaches to " Pro Football Weekly " ' s All - Time 3 - 4 defensive team along with Harry Carson , Lawrence Taylor , Randy Gradishar , Howie Long , Lee Roy Selmon , and Andre Tippett . In March 2008 Kansas City Chiefs Chairman , Clark Hunt , decided that former DT Curley Culp would be the 2008 inductee into the Chiefs Hall of Fame . The 38th member of this prestigious group , Culp was enshrined into the Chiefs Hall of Fame at halftime of the Chiefs Alumni Game that fall . Culp played a total of 13 seasons in the AFL / NFL with Kansas City , Houston , and Detroit , and was selected to a total of six AFL All - Star Games or Pro Bowls . On August 22 , 2012 , Culp was named as a senior nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013 . On February 2 , 2013 , Culp was selected as one of seven inductees into the 2013 Hall of Fame class .