In a statement, Kansas City Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said Culp “represented the franchise with honor and respect both on and off the field. He was known as a fierce competitor and a difference maker who commanded a great deal of respect. His legacy will forever be remembered by Chiefs Kingdom.”
Culp had previously tweeted that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
According to Chiefs.com, Culp, who played for 14 seasons in the NFL, participated in five Pro Bowls and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1975. He was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs for the first six seasons of his NFL career, where he compiled 37 sacks across 78 games. He then joined the Houston Oilers midway through the 1974 season.
Culp was a major part of the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory in Super Bowl IV, as he helped shut down the Minnesota Vikings’ rushing attack as an unstoppable force in the middle of the team’s formidable defensive line.
He was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
“In life, just like in sports, we should play hard and clean, and always do our best to succeed,” Culp said during his induction. “Being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame has helped me to remember and appreciate the guidance, mentoring, and a deep faith in God that ensured that my path was one that would make all of the people close to me proud.”