Ulysses Curtis

{{Short description|American football player (1926–2013)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Use American English|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

|image=

|caption=

|birth_date={{birth date|1926|05|10|mf=y}}

|birth_place= Albion, Michigan

|death_date={{death date and age|2013|10|06|1926|05|10|mf=y}}

|death_place=Toronto, Ontario, Canada

|college=Florida A&M

|position=Running back

|teams=*Toronto Argonauts (1950–1954)

}}

Ulysses "Crazy Legs" Curtis (May 10, 1926 – October 6, 2013) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Toronto Argonauts from 1950 to 1954. He won two Grey Cups with Toronto in 1950 and 1952.

Curtis was long considered the Argonauts' first black player.{{cite web|first=George |last=Haim|date=October 28, 2013|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/10/28/obituary_ulysses_curtis_opened_doors_in_toronto_and_dashed_through.html |title=Ulysses Curtis opened doors in Toronto — and dashed through |newspaper=Toronto Star |access-date=August 12, 2021}} On February 2, 2021, it was revealed that Curtis was only their second ever black player after Ken Whitlock, a halfback & kicker who played only 4 games for the Argonauts in 1948.{{cite web|url=https://www.argonauts.ca/2021/02/02/untold-story-ken-whitlock-first-black-argonaut/|title=THE UNTOLD STORY OF KEN WHITLOCK, THE FIRST BLACK ARGONAUT|last=Hogan|first=Mike|work=argonauts.ca|date=February 2, 2021|access-date=February 3, 2021}}

Curtis is sixth on the Argonauts all-time career touchdown list with 47 touchdowns, fourth on the Argos all-time rushing list with 3,712 yards on 529 carries, second on the Argos all-time list with most yards in a game with 208 yards, and third on the team list of most 100-yard rushing games with 12.{{cite web|url=http://www.canoe.ca/Argos/History/ArgoHeroes/2005/12/17/1358017.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115070146/http://www.canoe.ca/Argos/History/ArgoHeroes/2005/12/17/1358017.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=2013-01-15|title=Ulysses Curtis|last=Wallace|first=Craig|work=Argos Heroes|publisher=Toronto Argonauts Football Club|access-date=2008-04-20}}

After retirement from football, Curtis remained in Toronto and raised his family. He owned a cleaning business and later became a teacher and coach in the North York Board of Education. In 1959 he coached the North York Knights, a team that played in the national Canadian Junior Football championships. He also helped coach the York University football team in the 1960s.{{cite web |url=https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl-55-yard-line/remembering-ulysses-curtis-first-black-argonaut-went-educate-205137571.html |title=Remembering Ulysses Curtis, the first black Argonaut, who went on to educate many |publisher=yahoo.com |access-date=2013-10-30}}

He was named to the Toronto Argonauts All-Time Argos List in 2005.{{cite news|url=http://www.canoe.ca/Argos/News/2005/10/26/1279294.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721131645/http://www.canoe.ca/Argos/News/2005/10/26/1279294.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=2012-07-21|title=ULYSSES 'CRAZY LEGS' CURTIS & DAVE 'SUPERMAN' MANN NAMED TO ALL-TIME ARGO LIST|date=2005-10-26|publisher=Toronto Argonauts Football Club|access-date=2008-04-20}}

Curtis died October 6, 2013, in Toronto.