Mike Curtis obit

Former Baltimore Colts LB Mike Curtis dies at 77

He was not on the list.

Mike Curtis, a hard-hitting middle linebacker for the Baltimore Colts and two other teams over his 14-year NFL career, has died at age 77.

Nicknamed "Mad Dog," Curtis was selected by the Colts with the 14th overall pick in the 1965 draft out of Duke. He was named first-team All-Pro after the 1968 and 1969 seasons and was one of the mainstays on a 1968 Colts defense -- along with defensive end Bubba Smith and cornerback Bobby Boyd -- that allowed the fewest points in the NFL and ranked second in yards allowed. Under coach Don Shula, the Colts went 13-1 that season before losing to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.

A ferocious hitter, Curtis cemented his legacy in a 1971 game against the Miami Dolphins when a fan came onto the field and tried to steal the game ball, only to have Curtis level him with a crushing body tackle.

Curtis was able to avenge the Colts' Super Bowl III loss two years later when they defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 16-13, in Super Bowl V. Curtis played an important role in that game, sealing the victory with an interception late in the fourth quarter.

He was selected to four Pro Bowls with the Colts before going to the expansion Seattle Seahawks in 1976 and finishing out his career with two seasons as a member of the Washington Redskins.