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Maroon Madness: No. 3 Curley Culp vs. No. 6 Sal Bando

Sun Devils in the sixties

Zimbio.com/Alchetron.com

The Matchup: Two of the most accomplished Sun Devils of all-time. Sal Bando is a three-time World Series Champion while Curley Culp is an AFL and Super Bowl Champion. The two flourished in Tempe in the mid-sixties.

No. 3 Curley Culp

Basic info: Born: March 10, 1946 in Yuma, Arizona. Height/weight: 6-foot, 195 pounds. ASU career: 1965-1967. NFL/AFL career: 1968 (Broncos), 1968-74 (Chiefs), 1974-80 (Oilers), 1980-81 (Lions)

Notables: Inducted into the 2013 Hall of Fame, Culp racked up 68 sacks in his 13 year professional career. In 2008 Culp joined 37 others into the Chiefs Hall of Fame. 1975 was Culp’s strongest year, as he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Super Bowl IV (1970) and 1969 AFL Champion. Culp also didn't just earn First-Team All-American honors playing under Frank Kush in 1967, but he was also one of the top wrestlers in the country while at Arizona State. Culp was the heavyweight champion and won the Gorriaran Award for scoring the most falls at the 1967 NCAA Division I championships.

Culp wrestling for Arizona State

What you don’t know: In addition to his athletic accolades, Culp was voted “Male Student with the Best Smile” and “Homecoming King” his senior year by his classmates.

Culp’s Resume

ASU career
ASU career
1967 First-team All-American (football)
1967 heavyweight national champion (wrestling)
Pro career
Super Bowl Champion (IV)
AFL Champion (1969)
NFL Defensive POY (1975)
6x Pro Bowl (1969, 1971, 1975-1978)

No. 6 Sal Bando

Basic info: Born: February 13, 1944 in Cleveland, Ohio. Career: ASU (1962-65), Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1966-76), Brewers (1977-81).

Notables: Bando led the Arizona State to College World Series championship in 1965, as he was the CWS MVP. A four-time All-Star (1969, 1972-1974), Bando joined Brooks Robinson as the second American League third baseman at the time with 200 career home runs. Bando is a three-time World Series Champion (1972-1974), all three of those with the A’s. Bando was lifetime .254 hitter with 242 long-balls and 1039 career RBI.

What you don’t know: Bando briefly held a career as a color analyst with NBC, as he was then partnered with Bob Costas. The NBC stint ended with an offer to come back to one of his former organizations in a high-office role. Bando led an eight-year career as the General Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1991 to 1999.

Bando’s Resume

ASU career
ASU career
1965 College World Series MVP
1965 College World Series Champion
Pro career
3-time World Series champion (1972-74)
4-time All-Star (1969, 1972-74)
16-year professional career