Curtis Rouse
Encyclopedia
Curtis Lamar Rouse is a former American football
offensive lineman who played six seasons in the National Football League
with the Minnesota Vikings
and the San Diego Chargers
.
in Augusta, Georgia, Rouse attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
. He played on Chattanooga's 1979 Southern Conference
championship team as a sophomore. During his senior year, he was named to the All-Southern Conference team and played in the Senior Bowl
.
. He played offensive guard
, offensive tackle, and special teams for the Vikings from 1982–1986, including all sixteen games in the 1983
, 1984
, and 1985
seasons. Released by the Vikings following the 1986 season
, he played one final season with the San Diego Chargers in 1987
. During his playing career, he was the heaviest player in the NFL at 350 pounds.
On August 5, 1997, at age 37, Rouse suffered a massive stroke
at his home in Clarksville, Tennessee
; his weight had ballooned to almost 500 pounds at the time. He was initially not expected to survive, but as of November 1997, he had regained approximately 90 percent of his speech. In 2003, the Chattanooga Times Free Press
placed him on Tennessee-Chattanooga's All-Century Football Team, and in 2005 he was elected to the university's Athletics Hall of Fame.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive lineman who played six seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
A graduate of Lucy Craft Laney High SchoolLucy Craft Laney High School
Lucy C. Laney Comprehensive High School is a public high school located in the Laney-Walker district of Augusta, Georgia . In 1949, A. R. Johnson and Haines Normal and Industrial Institute came together to form what is now known as Lucy Craft Laney Comprehensive High School...
in Augusta, Georgia, Rouse attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" , is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System; the others being in...
. He played on Chattanooga's 1979 Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
championship team as a sophomore. During his senior year, he was named to the All-Southern Conference team and played in the Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
.
Professional career
Rouse was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 11th round of the 1982 NFL Draft1982 NFL Draft
The 1982 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 27–28, 1982...
. He played offensive guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
, offensive tackle, and special teams for the Vikings from 1982–1986, including all sixteen games in the 1983
1983 Minnesota Vikings season
1983 was the 23nd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of eight wins and eight losses.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Awards, records, and honors:...
, 1984
1984 Minnesota Vikings season
-Schedule:-References:...
, and 1985
1985 Minnesota Vikings season
-Schedule:-25 year team:The team recognized an all-time team in 1985 as part of the celebration of the 25th season VIKINGS 25TH SEASON ALL-TIME TEAM 1961-85 *OFFENSE*WRs: Ahmad Rashad, Sammy White*Ts: Ron Yary, Grady Alderman*Gs: Ed White, Milt Sunde...
seasons. Released by the Vikings following the 1986 season
1986 Minnesota Vikings season
-Schedule:-References:* *...
, he played one final season with the San Diego Chargers in 1987
1987 San Diego Chargers season
The 1987 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 1986. The strike of 1987 reduced the regular season schedule from sixteen to fifteen games. Their stadium, Qualcomm Stadium, hosted Super Bowl XXII at the end of the season.The Chargers famously started...
. During his playing career, he was the heaviest player in the NFL at 350 pounds.
On August 5, 1997, at age 37, Rouse suffered a massive stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
at his home in Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
; his weight had ballooned to almost 500 pounds at the time. He was initially not expected to survive, but as of November 1997, he had regained approximately 90 percent of his speech. In 2003, the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Chattanooga Times Free Press
The Chattanooga Times Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is distributed in the metro Chattanooga region of Tennessee and Northwest Georgia...
placed him on Tennessee-Chattanooga's All-Century Football Team, and in 2005 he was elected to the university's Athletics Hall of Fame.
Sources
- Ballew, Bill. Tough Enough to be Vikings: Minnesota's Purple Pride from A to Z. Asheville, North Carolina: Old Norse Publishing, 1999. (pages 276-277)
- Barreiro, Dan. After Stroke, ex-Viking Rouse is Beating the Odds. Minneapolis Star Tribune. 18 November 1997.
External links
- Curtis Rouse Career Stats from databaseFootball.com
- Five Inducted Into Hall of Fame. Press release from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, dated 25 February 2005.