Inductees

Curt “Mother” Merz was born and raised in New Jersey. His sports career began in high school where he garnered All-State honors in basketball, track and football. From there he signed with the University of Iowa to play football. In 1959, he helped the Hawkeyes win the Rose Bowl and played in both the Blue-Gray Game and the North-South Shrine Bowl.

His professional career started north of the border in 1960 in the CFL. He played for the Winnipeg Bluebombers and the Ottawa Rough Riders. He joined the AFL in 1962 as a member of the Dallas Texans and helped them win the 1962 AFL Championship, while playing on both sides of the ball as a lineman. After the team moved to Kansas City, Merz helped the Chiefs win the 1966 AFL Championship and earn a berth in Super Bowl I. He is the last Chiefs player to play on both sides of the ball in the same game.