Legendary Baltimore Colts MLB Curtis dead

BALTIMORE: Baltimore Colts legend Mike Curtis, one of the heroes of Super Bowl V, died Monday. He was 77. Curtis passed away in St. Petersburg, Fla., according to the Baltimore Ravens.

Curtis, a middle linebacker, played in two Super Bowls for the Colts and intercepted Dallas Cowboys quarterback Craig Morton late in a tie game in Super Bowl V on Jan. 17, 1971. The pick set up Jim O’Brien’s game-winning, 32-yard field goal with five seconds remaining in Baltimore’s 16-13 victory.

The Irsay family moved the Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis following the 1983 season, but that never dimmed current owner Jim Irsay’s admiration of Curtis.

“Rest In Peace, Mike Curtis,” Irsay tweeted on Monday. “One of the game’s most legendary nonHall-of-Famers. Ferocious on the field, a gentleman off the field.”

Curtis was a four-time Pro Bowl selection during 11 seasons (1965-75) with the Colts. The player nicknamed “Mad Dog” also played for the Seattle Seahawks (1976) and the Washington Redskins (1977-78).

Curtis, who played in 166 career NFL games, recorded 21 of his 25 regular-season interceptions and eight of his nine fumble recoveries during his tenure with the Colts. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns and also scored on a fumble return.

Curtis had three interceptions and one fumble recovery (for a touchdown) in nine career playoff appearances, all with Baltimore. The highly intense Curtis was also known for a hit he delivered that had nothing to do with the play on the field. During a break in the fourth quarter of a home game against the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 11, 1971, a drunken fan raced on to the field and tried to take off with the ball.

Curtis saw what was transpiring and headed toward the fan to deliver a vicious hit that sent the intruder to the turf. Curtis was asked about the incident after the game and simply said, “He wasn’t supposed to be on the field.” —Reuters