Tom Curtis (American football)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Newton Curtis is a former American football
safety. He played college football for the University of Michigan
from 1967 to 1969. He was selected as a consensus All-American in 1969. He also broke Michigan's records for interceptions in a game, season, and career -- none of which have been broken. He also set the NCAA career record with 431 return yards off interceptions. Curtis also played two seasons for the Baltimore Colts
(1970-1971) which included the Colts' Super Bowl V
winning team. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 2005.
in 1947. He grew up in Aurora, Ohio, where he was the quarterback on the Aurora High School football team. He was a Class A All-Ohio quarterback in high school.
from 1967 to 1969. As a freshman in 1966, he played at the quarterback position on the all-freshman team.
As a sophomore, the Michigan coaching staff asked Curtis to move from the quarterback position to the safety position. Curtis told a reporter the following year, "It took a little mental adjustment on my part, but it was all right with me. I wanted to play, and it was it was pretty obvious I wasn't going to beat out (Dick) Vidmer
." Curtis started eight games at safety and one at cornerback for the 1967 Michigan Wolverines football team
. On November 11, 1967, Curtis had three interceptions against Illinois, which remains tied for Michigan's single game record. During the 1967 season (his first as a defensive back), Curtis totaled seven interceptions to tie the Big Ten Conference
record. In June 1968, Curtis received the Frederick C. Matthei Scholarship Award for sportsmanship off and on the field.
As a junior, Curtis started all 10 games for the 1968 team
that finished the season with a record of 8-2. He totaled 10 interceptions in 1968, a mark that remains Michigan's single season record. He was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player after the 1968 season.
As a senior, Curtis started all 11 games at safety for the 1969 team
that was the first to be coached by Bo Schembechler
. He intercepted eight passes for 156 yards in 1969. Two of his interceptions came in the Michigan's victory in the 1969 Ohio State game
, regarded as one of the biggest upsets in college football history. He was selected as a consensus first-team All-American (selected as first-team by, among others, the United Press, Associated Press
and Football News).
With 25 career interception
s, Curtis still holds Michigan's all-time career interceptions record. (Charles Woodson is second with 18 interceptions.) His career total of 431 return yards off interceptions also broke the NCAA record set by Lynn Chandnois
in the 1940s. At the end of the 2010 college football season, Curtis was tied for fourth place in career interceptions in NCAA Division I-A/FBS history. In an interview in 1968, Curtis said he know how to think like a quarterback after playing five years at the position. He noted that his ability to think like a quarterback and read formations helped make him successful as a defensive back. Asked years later about his skill at intercepting passes, Curtis said, "I'm not certain how I did it. It was a combination of instinct, great hands and quickness -- not speed."
In 2005, Curtis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
.
in the 14th round (356th overall pick) of the 1970 NFL Draft
. He appeared in 24 games for the Colts during the 1970 and 1971 seasons. In August 1972, Curtis was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for a future draft pick. He was cut by the Rams and picked up on waivers by the Miami Dolphins
. He missed the Dolphins' undefeated 1972 season with a knee injury that kept him on injured reserve status. In late July 1973, Curtis announced his retirement from professional football.
's son, Jason Carr.
Curtis owns and operates Curtis Publishing Company, one of the nation's largest privately-owned publishing companies. The company's publications include Dolphin Digest, Steelers Digest, Eagles Insider, River Cities Gazette, and Draft Digest. He was also the owner and publisher of Football News.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
safety. He played college football for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1967 to 1969. He was selected as a consensus All-American in 1969. He also broke Michigan's records for interceptions in a game, season, and career -- none of which have been broken. He also set the NCAA career record with 431 return yards off interceptions. Curtis also played two seasons for the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
(1970-1971) which included the Colts' Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V was an American football game played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1970 regular season...
winning team. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 2005.
Early years
Curtis was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1947. He grew up in Aurora, Ohio, where he was the quarterback on the Aurora High School football team. He was a Class A All-Ohio quarterback in high school.
University of Michigan
Curtis played college football at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1967 to 1969. As a freshman in 1966, he played at the quarterback position on the all-freshman team.
As a sophomore, the Michigan coaching staff asked Curtis to move from the quarterback position to the safety position. Curtis told a reporter the following year, "It took a little mental adjustment on my part, but it was all right with me. I wanted to play, and it was it was pretty obvious I wasn't going to beat out (Dick) Vidmer
Dick Vidmer
Richard F. "Dick" Vidmer was an American football player who played quarterback for the University of Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1965 to 1967....
." Curtis started eight games at safety and one at cornerback for the 1967 Michigan Wolverines football team
1967 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1967 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1967 college football season The team's head coach was Bump Elliott...
. On November 11, 1967, Curtis had three interceptions against Illinois, which remains tied for Michigan's single game record. During the 1967 season (his first as a defensive back), Curtis totaled seven interceptions to tie the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
record. In June 1968, Curtis received the Frederick C. Matthei Scholarship Award for sportsmanship off and on the field.
As a junior, Curtis started all 10 games for the 1968 team
1968 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1968 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1968 college football season. Bump Elliott served as the team's head coach for his tenth and final season...
that finished the season with a record of 8-2. He totaled 10 interceptions in 1968, a mark that remains Michigan's single season record. He was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player after the 1968 season.
As a senior, Curtis started all 11 games at safety for the 1969 team
1969 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1969 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1969 college football season. The team was head coached by Bo Schembechler in his first year at Michigan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium....
that was the first to be coached by Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
. He intercepted eight passes for 156 yards in 1969. Two of his interceptions came in the Michigan's victory in the 1969 Ohio State game
1969 Michigan vs. Ohio State football game
The 1969 edition of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is considered one of the best-known games of the series, as well as one of the biggest upsets in college football history. The Buckeyes of Ohio State University went into the game as the top-ranked team in the country, with a 22-game winning...
, regarded as one of the biggest upsets in college football history. He was selected as a consensus first-team All-American (selected as first-team by, among others, the United Press, Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and Football News).
With 25 career interception
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
s, Curtis still holds Michigan's all-time career interceptions record. (Charles Woodson is second with 18 interceptions.) His career total of 431 return yards off interceptions also broke the NCAA record set by Lynn Chandnois
Lynn Chandnois
Lynn Chandnois was a former standout professional American football player who earned All-American honors for the Michigan State Spartans in 1949, the NFL Player Of The Year award for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1952 and twice made it to the Pro Bowl.After both his parents died, Lynn, who was born...
in the 1940s. At the end of the 2010 college football season, Curtis was tied for fourth place in career interceptions in NCAA Division I-A/FBS history. In an interview in 1968, Curtis said he know how to think like a quarterback after playing five years at the position. He noted that his ability to think like a quarterback and read formations helped make him successful as a defensive back. Asked years later about his skill at intercepting passes, Curtis said, "I'm not certain how I did it. It was a combination of instinct, great hands and quickness -- not speed."
In 2005, Curtis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Professional football
Curtis was drafted by the Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
in the 14th round (356th overall pick) of the 1970 NFL Draft
1970 NFL Draft
The 1970 National Football League Draft was held on January 27–28, 1970.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. He appeared in 24 games for the Colts during the 1970 and 1971 seasons. In August 1972, Curtis was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for a future draft pick. He was cut by the Rams and picked up on waivers by the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He missed the Dolphins' undefeated 1972 season with a knee injury that kept him on injured reserve status. In late July 1973, Curtis announced his retirement from professional football.
Family and publishing career
Curtis met his wife, Debbie, at Michigan. They were married in approximately 1974 and live in Miami. They have two sons, Brad and Matthew, and a daughter, Tammi, who is married to former Michigan head coach Lloyd CarrLloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
's son, Jason Carr.
Curtis owns and operates Curtis Publishing Company, one of the nation's largest privately-owned publishing companies. The company's publications include Dolphin Digest, Steelers Digest, Eagles Insider, River Cities Gazette, and Draft Digest. He was also the owner and publisher of Football News.