ROCKVILLE, MD — Mike Curtis — the Rockville native who led the Baltimore Colts to victory in Super Bowl V — died Monday morning in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was 77.
His cause of death was complications due to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head injuries, according to multiple news outlets.
"Rest in peace, Mike Curtis. One of the game's most legendary non-Hall-of-Famers. Ferocious on the field, a gentleman off the field," Indianapolis Colts team owner Jim Irsay tweeted on Monday. His father bought the Baltimore Colts in the 1980s and moved the franchise to Indianapolis.
The former linebacker, who played for the team from 1965-75, is considered one of the greatest defensive players in Colts history. Known as "Mad Dog," Curtis made a key interception late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl V, helping the Colts secure its first Super Bowl victory.
Curtis went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins, and retired several years later.
The four-time Pro Bowler was born in Rockville on March 27, 1943. He played football for Richard Montgomery High School before going to Duke University, where he earned Academic All-American honors.