Quotes from others:
"Can anyone out there tell me why on God's green earth is Mike Curtis not yet in the HOF? I am bias because he was and always will be my favorite player, but over the years I keep seeing linebackers being voted into the HOF who might have posted equal numbers (some less) but none struck fear in the hearts of players and entire offenses the way Curtis did. I remember reading on several occasions years ago that he was every offensive co-ordinators' worst might-mare as they always had to game-plan to run away from him, which was one of the primary reasons he was moved from outside Linebacker to the middle. I think the guy is certainly worthy on his fearsome reputation alone, but despite the fact that he had the misfortune of playing in the same era and Butkis, and Nobis, and others, he was still regarded as one of the very best at his position when he played. Will he ever get in the HOF and get the credit he deserves?"posting by: Softball Fan - BaltimoreSun2.com 8/20/07
"...I have chronicled the career of 30 great football players... Most of these men should be in the Hall of Fame... Mike Curtis ... (More Distand Memories: Pro Football's Best Ever Players of the '50's, 60's and 70's ISBN 97881425966966)." Danny Jones authorhouse 2007
"Great Linebacker." David Hanson, Thief River Falls, MN - 2000
"“It‘s been said that he mauls his own quarterback, the Baltimore Colts‘ revered Johnny Unitas, in practice. Curtis… is the best middle linebacker in the AFC...” Mal Florence, Times Staff Writer
“Unitas, Curtis, Lee the Best. Middle linebacker a central figure of unit. Does everything well and finished as Team’s second - leading interceptions with 5. Always the leader in tackles.” Dave Klein, Sunday Star-Ledger Staff Writer January 17, 1971
“… an ordinary linebacker can pull one out of five plays. Mike can pull three out of five plays… Mike can sense where a play is going.” said Shinnick “… there’s one thing that is obviously authentic about this 6-3, 234 pound athlete, who, pound-for-pound, is probably the best linebacker in the NFL. His desire is unmistakable and he plays for the love it…” Article by Mal Florence, Times Staff Writer
"Back in the early 70's the Balitimore Colts had a linebacker named Mike Curtis. One day, during a game, a fan ran onto the field between plays, picked the ball up from the scrimmage line and started running. Mike Curtis came out of nowhere and just leveled that poor bastard. I'm sure Curtis loosened every tooth in that guy's head and rattled every bone in his body. It was on of the hardest hits I've ever seen on a football field. When the guy regained his senses a few weeks later, he tried to sue Mike Curtis. The case was thrown out of court. That incident is one of my fondest Pro Football memories." mangy-ranger - 2005
"I was a big fan of Mike Curtis for his play, I was too young to worry about his personality or his politics, jokingly referred to by teammates as being slightly right of Mussolini". Todd S. Phillips - 2005
"Curtis is extremely underrated and should be in the Hall of fame as far as I am concerned. Bart Starr said he was the only player he actually feared but he was not about to cause any serious injuries to an unprotected fan, even if he was stealing the ball." Todd S. Phillips - 2007
"Enjoyable read by one of the all-time great NFL middle-linebackers. Mike Curtis' story is entertaining and funny. Now, THAT was football." Valerie J. Wood
"Bring back Mike Curtis, Lenny Moore, Roger Carr, Bubba Smith and Artie Donovan." Steve, Bel Air, CA 2007
"He has been my hero since I was a little boy in the early 70's." J. Hibbs - 2006
"Curtis was and still is the greatest player I've ever seen. Of course that was when men where men, football was football and athletes were the real thing." Jose Gonzalez, Miami, FL 2007
"Redskin linebacker Mike Curtis, who caused the funmble and Buffalo running back Jim Braxton who lost it, agreed completely over the most important aspect of Washington's biggest defensive play today. Braxton never saw Curtis before the Washington linebacker stripped Joe Ferguson's pass from Braxton's grasp at the Redskin 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter." Mark Asner, Reporter, Washington Post - 1977
"A genuine All-Pro, Curtis has been one of the NFL's premier LBs since his 2nd year in Baltimore and was the MVP in Super Bowl V when the Colts beat Dallas."John Owens, Sports Editor, Seattle
"The outdoor zoo known as Memorial Stadium, doesn't worry the Rams as much as the middle-linebacker they call 'the animal'."Steve Bisheff, Herald-Examiner LA, 1971
NFL-based media called the Colts "the greatest pro football team of all time." The Colts went into Super Bowl III against the New York Jets as 17-point favorites, with NFL icons like Pro Bowlers Bobby Boyd (db), Mike Curtis (lb), John Mackey (te), Tom Matte (rb), Fred Miller (dl), Earl Morrall (qb), Willie Richardson (wr), and Bob Vogel )ol). After the NFL merged with the AFL in 1970, the Colts went on a rampage, as new head coach Don McCafferty and a new, impoved defense led by Mike Curtis, the Colts won 11 games, took the AFC East Title, in the first round of the NFL Playoffs, they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 21-0, one week later in the AFC Championship, they beat the Oakland Raiders 27-17. Baltimore went on to win the first post-merger Super Bowl (Super Bowl V) against NFC's Dallas Cowboys 16-13, on a Jim O'[Brien field goal, with 5 seconds left to play." Wikipedia.org 2007
"Because the core of the team (Seahawks) was so inexperienced, Patera knew he needed some gray-beards with good attitudes to come in and shape the personality of the team in the locker room." Dave Boling, Reporter, The News Tribune - 2000
"...I have chronicled the career of 30 great football players... Most of these men should be in the Hall of Fame... Mike Curtis ... (More Distand Memories: Pro Football's Best Ever Players of the '50's, 60's and 70's ISBN 97881425966966)." Danny Jones authorhouse 2007
"Great Linebacker." David Hanson, Thief River Falls, MN - 2000
"“It‘s been said that he mauls his own quarterback, the Baltimore Colts‘ revered Johnny Unitas, in practice. Curtis… is the best middle linebacker in the AFC...” Mal Florence, Times Staff Writer
“Unitas, Curtis, Lee the Best. Middle linebacker a central figure of unit. Does everything well and finished as Team’s second - leading interceptions with 5. Always the leader in tackles.” Dave Klein, Sunday Star-Ledger Staff Writer January 17, 1971
“… an ordinary linebacker can pull one out of five plays. Mike can pull three out of five plays… Mike can sense where a play is going.” said Shinnick “… there’s one thing that is obviously authentic about this 6-3, 234 pound athlete, who, pound-for-pound, is probably the best linebacker in the NFL. His desire is unmistakable and he plays for the love it…” Article by Mal Florence, Times Staff Writer
"Back in the early 70's the Balitimore Colts had a linebacker named Mike Curtis. One day, during a game, a fan ran onto the field between plays, picked the ball up from the scrimmage line and started running. Mike Curtis came out of nowhere and just leveled that poor bastard. I'm sure Curtis loosened every tooth in that guy's head and rattled every bone in his body. It was on of the hardest hits I've ever seen on a football field. When the guy regained his senses a few weeks later, he tried to sue Mike Curtis. The case was thrown out of court. That incident is one of my fondest Pro Football memories." mangy-ranger - 2005
"I was a big fan of Mike Curtis for his play, I was too young to worry about his personality or his politics, jokingly referred to by teammates as being slightly right of Mussolini". Todd S. Phillips - 2005
"Curtis is extremely underrated and should be in the Hall of fame as far as I am concerned. Bart Starr said he was the only player he actually feared but he was not about to cause any serious injuries to an unprotected fan, even if he was stealing the ball." Todd S. Phillips - 2007
"Enjoyable read by one of the all-time great NFL middle-linebackers. Mike Curtis' story is entertaining and funny. Now, THAT was football." Valerie J. Wood
"Bring back Mike Curtis, Lenny Moore, Roger Carr, Bubba Smith and Artie Donovan." Steve, Bel Air, CA 2007
"He has been my hero since I was a little boy in the early 70's." J. Hibbs - 2006
"Curtis was and still is the greatest player I've ever seen. Of course that was when men where men, football was football and athletes were the real thing." Jose Gonzalez, Miami, FL 2007
"Redskin linebacker Mike Curtis, who caused the funmble and Buffalo running back Jim Braxton who lost it, agreed completely over the most important aspect of Washington's biggest defensive play today. Braxton never saw Curtis before the Washington linebacker stripped Joe Ferguson's pass from Braxton's grasp at the Redskin 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter." Mark Asner, Reporter, Washington Post - 1977
"A genuine All-Pro, Curtis has been one of the NFL's premier LBs since his 2nd year in Baltimore and was the MVP in Super Bowl V when the Colts beat Dallas."John Owens, Sports Editor, Seattle
"The outdoor zoo known as Memorial Stadium, doesn't worry the Rams as much as the middle-linebacker they call 'the animal'."Steve Bisheff, Herald-Examiner LA, 1971
NFL-based media called the Colts "the greatest pro football team of all time." The Colts went into Super Bowl III against the New York Jets as 17-point favorites, with NFL icons like Pro Bowlers Bobby Boyd (db), Mike Curtis (lb), John Mackey (te), Tom Matte (rb), Fred Miller (dl), Earl Morrall (qb), Willie Richardson (wr), and Bob Vogel )ol). After the NFL merged with the AFL in 1970, the Colts went on a rampage, as new head coach Don McCafferty and a new, impoved defense led by Mike Curtis, the Colts won 11 games, took the AFC East Title, in the first round of the NFL Playoffs, they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 21-0, one week later in the AFC Championship, they beat the Oakland Raiders 27-17. Baltimore went on to win the first post-merger Super Bowl (Super Bowl V) against NFC's Dallas Cowboys 16-13, on a Jim O'[Brien field goal, with 5 seconds left to play." Wikipedia.org 2007
"Because the core of the team (Seahawks) was so inexperienced, Patera knew he needed some gray-beards with good attitudes to come in and shape the personality of the team in the locker room." Dave Boling, Reporter, The News Tribune - 2000
