Career

He played high school football for the Monrovia Wildcats. He played the tackle position. Cureton was a dominant offensive guard and also played on the defensive line for three seasons (1953-1954-55) on University of California, Los Angeles football teams that went 26-4 and captured three Pacific Coast Conference championships and participated in two Rose Bowls.

During the 1954 national championship season, Cureton was named second-team All-Coast and honorable mention All-American.

As a senior in 1955, Cureton became the Bruins" fifth-ever consensus first-team All-American as well as being named all-conference and team captain—the first African-American captain to lead a University of California, Los Angeles football team In 1955, Cureton was selected to play in the Hula Bowl and later played for nine years in the Canadian Football League for Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton.

Cureton was traded to Hamilton by Ottawa on August 15, 1960 for Angelo Mosca. Cureton had become a successful ice cream salesman in Toronto and had threatened legal action against the Rough Riders if they did not give him his release.

With the trade, he was able to keep both his football job (in Hamilton) and his ice cream job.

Hardiman Cureton, OG 1956 Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League)

Hardiman Cureton, OG 1957 - 1959 Ottawa Rough Riders (Canadian Football League)

Hardiman Cureton, LB 1960 - 1964 Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Canadian Football League).