Born in Gary, Ind., Karras starred for four years at Iowa. Alex Karras, the former Detroit Lions All-Pro defensive tackle and later a successful actor, died on October 10. For the record: Karras’ father, Ted Jr., briefly played defensive tackle for Washington in 1987. "I'm sorry, sir," Karras replied. After being disappointed at not getting to play in the season finale, Karras threw a shoe at Evashevski and quit the team. [20], Karras also worked briefly as a football coach in 2007 and 2008. Ted Karras played 108 games in the NFL, including left guard for the 1963 Bears championship team. Alexander George Karras (July 15, 1935 – October 10, 2012) was an American football player, professional wrestler, sportscaster, and actor. Alex Karras Lincoln is an excellent online source for Lincoln vehicles, genuine Lincoln and Ford parts, service, or accessories. Theodore George Karras Sr. Karras played college football for Indiana University. The Hawkeyes then clinched the Big Ten title and Iowa's first ever Rose Bowl berth by defeating Ohio State, 6–0. His father had Greek ancestry, while his mother was Canadian. During his last years as a Detroit Lion, Karras wrote a journal of his experiences that was published in the Detroit Free Press. Obviously, Iowa came up with something, I have no intention of stirring up any mess. Ted Karras Jr. and Ted Karras III show their Super Bowl rings … He died on October 10, 2012 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He died on October 10, 2012 in … Shown here, during a rehearsal on Jan. 31, 1985, are Karras, Billy Crystal (in character as “Fernando”) and Tina Turner. He played a hulking villain who menaced Clint Walker in the ABC TV film Hardcase. He was reinstated, along with Hornung, on March 16, 1964, by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. He was elected to the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1977 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991. Alex Karras: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. During his exile, Karras returned to pro wrestling, taking on such memorable characters as Dick the Bruiser. DETROIT -- Alex Karras was one of the NFL's most feared defensive tackles throughout the 1960s, a player who hounded quarterbacks and bulled past opposing linemen. [12], Following his release by the Lions in 1971, he made several appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and also played a bit part in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, appearing in the farewell party scene where Rhoda moves back to New York. Alex Karras, who died Wednesday in Los Angeles at age 77, is most identified as a National Football League great and an actor. Karras and Ohio State tackle John Hicks (in 1973) are two of only three linemen to finish so high in the Heisman Trophy voting. On June 4, 1967, Karras once again hinted he would retire to work at a new business venture; once training camp began, though, Karras was back with the Lions. He participated in the shot put, throwing a respectable 52 feet (16 m). He made the Pro Bowl four times, and the Hall of Fame named him a member of the 1960s All-Decade team. 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[26], American football player, announcer and actor, Professional Football Researchers Association, "Smart Alex joins Humble Howard, Faultless Frank", "Alex Karras, former NFL lineman, father on Webster TV show, dies at 77", "Alex Karras, N.F.L. (Evashevski always denied any special agreement with Karras.) He was treated at the Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, before being released into hospice care. Alex Karras played football for twelve seasons with the Detroit Lions from 1958 through 1962 and again from 1964 through 1970. Alex Karras: Pos: DT, Career: 161 G, 3xAll-Pro(1st), 4xProBowl, Lions 1958-1970, born IN 1935, died 2012 All Time All Pro Football sponsor(s) this page. On October 28, 2018, the Detroit Lions enshrined Karras in the franchise ring of honor along with former Detroit Lions Herman Moore and Roger Brown. He held that position from the program's inception in 2007 through the 2012 season in which Marian won the NAIA Football National Championship. He was the heart of the Lions' defensive line, terrorizing quarterbacks for years. [19], On January 15, 2020, the NFL announced Karras was selected for enshrinement in Canton. Alex Karras met the Butsicaris brothers soon after he arrived in Detroit to play for the Lions. Despite the new contract, controversy remained, as Karras and Gilmer sparred in midseason, with the coach reportedly ready to release the veteran defensive tackle. Playing a not-so-bright bruiser in Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles," he not only slugged a horse but also delivered the classic line: "Mongo only pawn in game of life. Karras III is a third-generation NFL player. He was expected to follow the path of one of his two older brothers – Lou Karras, who went to Purdue and played for the Redskins, and Ted Karras, who went to Indiana and played for the Bears and Lions. This time, Karras agreed to rejoin the team only after making Evashevski promise he would not talk to him other than in a coaching capacity. "This physical beating that he took as a football player has impacted his life, and therefore it has impacted his family life," Clark told The Associated Press earlier this year. Evashevski promised to start Karras in the 1956 season opener against Indiana, when he would square off against his brother, Ted. ", Several years before that, Karras had already become a bit of a celebrity through George Plimpton's behind-the-scenes book about what it was like to be an NFL player in the Motor City, "Paper Lion: Confessions of a Second-string Quarterback. Despite not allowing a touchdown in the divisional round of the 1970 NFL playoffs, the Lions lost to the Dallas Cowboys 5–0, his first playoff game and his final game. The rugged player, who anchored the Detroit Lions' defense and then made a successful transition to an acting career with a stint along the way as a commentator on "Monday Night Football," died Wednesday. "[6] However, after the game, Karras got into a physical battle with Evashevski. Instead, Karras signed a seven-year contract with the Lions on May 20, 1966, with Wilson stating that Karras had used the threat of signing with Miami to garner the large deal with Detroit. By that time, Alex Karras had learned to play football in a parking lot near his home, and he blossomed into a four-time Ind… He was still an All-Pro selection in 1967 to 1969. He was an actor and producer, known for Blazing Saddles (1974), Victor Victoria (1982) and Porky's (1981). Alex Karras, the former NFL Pro Bowl defensive lineman who went from sacking quarterbacks to memorably KO'ing a horse in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, has died in Los Angeles today. In 1958, he married Joan Jurgensen, with whom he had five children. Clark has said he was formally diagnosed with dementia several years ago and has had symptoms for more than a dozen years. Alex Karras bet on NFL games and – after sitting out his one-year suspension – he continued to play in the league for another seven seasons. When Alex Karras retired from the Detroit Lions in 1970, he left town for the bright lights of Hollywood. Alex Karras hosted “Saturday Night Live” in early February 1985. "Alex Karras was an outstanding player during a time when the NFL emerged as America's favorite sport," the league said in a statement. Alex grew up in a middle-class house household with two older brothers, named Lou and Ted Karras. "[8] During his first year back, player discontent with head coach George Wilson resulted in Karras asking to be traded. Paul Hornung and Alex Karras Suspensions Back in 1963, Paul Hornung and Alex Karras went from being well liked to most despised in the league. Family owned and operated. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Centennial class. Get In Contact Karras played his entire NFL career with the Lions before retiring in 1970 at age 35. Karras returned to acting with roles that included playing Sheriff Wallace in Porky's (in which his wife, Susan Clark, also starred), and as western settler Hans Brumbaugh in Centennial. Ted Karras Jr., also Alex Karras’ nephew, said he got choked up watching his uncle’s name get called out on television on Wednesday. Alex Karras was born on July 15, 1935 in Gary, Indiana, USA as Alexander George Karras. He joined hundreds of other former players suing the league. When that actually happened, Karras backtracked and flew home on the team plane. Karras was recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a defensive tackle on the All-Decade Team of the 1960s. He played football with the Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1958–1962 and 1964–1970. The school was just sixty miles (97 km) down the road from our home and we wanted to beat 'em at anything. A minor but memorable role came one year later in the western parody Blazing Saddles (1974): the very strong and slow-witted thug Mongo, who rode into town on a huge brahman (marked with "yes" and "no" passing signals), knocked out a horse with one punch. [5], Iowa's final regular season game in 1956 was 48–8 win at home over a struggling Notre Dame team. And Alex Karras had a very successful career after football. In 1972, Karras hosted a local weekly football program for Windsor, Ontario CBC affiliate CKLW-TV, The Alex Karras Football Show; his program generally preceded the CBC's Wednesday night CFL telecasts. Karras' television appearances included guest roles on Daniel Boone in the episode "The Cache", M*A*S*H in the episode "Springtime", The Odd Couple and a brief run on Match Game '75. In 1974 he also played the part of Lyle, a Marine saved by Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H. That same year, he was quickly brought in by ABC in September to replace Fred Williamson as a commentator for the network's Monday Night Football. Karras in April joined the more than 3,500 football veterans suing the league for not protecting them better from head injuries, immediately becoming one of the best-known names in the legal fight. Mitnick said the family had not yet decided whether to donate Karras' brain for study, as other families have done. Lewand said Karras also loved to garden and cook. Alex Karras was an American football player, actor and sportscaster, best remembered for his performance in the comedy film ‘Blazing Saddles’. But as soon as you're not a hero and not playing, the fan doesn't really care what happens to them.". Height 6' 1" (1.85 m) Weight 112.49 Profession Actor, Producer, Soundtrack Education University of Iowa Nationality His son, Ted Karras Jr., played in the NFL for the Washington Redskins in 1987 and is currently the head football coach at Walsh University. Personal life. "It's the same thing as back in the gladiator days when the gladiators fought to death," Mitnick, who represents Karras and hundreds of others in the suit, has said. This line was much-quoted upon Karras' death.) The marriage ended in divorce in 1975. His grandfather, Ted Karras, Sr., and great uncles, Lou Karras and Alex Karras, played in the NFL during the 1950s and 1960s, and his father Ted Karras, Jr. By that time, Alex Karras had learned to play football in a parking lot near his home, and he blossomed into a four-time Indiana all-state selection at Gary's Emerson High School. Iowa took the lead in the 1956 Big Ten title race with a 7–0 victory over Minnesota. He was married to Susan Clark and Ivalyn Joan Jurgensen. His older brothers, Lou (a future member of the Redskins) and Ted (who later played with the Bears and Lions), had played at Purdue but later Ted transferred to Indiana. For the record: Karras’ father, Ted Jr., briefly played defensive tackle for Washington in 1987. ALEX KARRAS (Deceased) Inducted: May 16, 1976 in East Chicago, IN Date of Birth: July 15, 1935 in Gary, IN High School Attended: Gary Emerson Graduated: 1954 High School Honors: All-State 1952, 1953 and All-American 1954. The bar was known for its legendary hamburgers and walls festooned with sports memorabilia. Karras did not earn a football letter for the 1955 season. There, George Karras met and married a Canadian woman, Alex's mother, Emmeline (née Wilson), a registered nurse. He was a first team All-American in 1956. He was married to Susan Clark and Ivalyn Joan Jurgensen. He was a first-team All-Pro in 1960, 1961 and 1965, and he made the Pro Bowl four times. "He is interested in making the game of football safer and hoping that other families of retired players will have a healthier and happier retirement.". On December 12, 2014, the Big Ten Network included Karras on "The Mount Rushmore of Iowa Football", as chosen by online fan voting. Karras played a darker role as Hank Sully, the right-hand-man of villain Jake Wise (played by James Woods) in the 1984 film, Against All Odds. Alex Karras was born on July 15, 1935 in Gary, Indiana. The two formed their own production company and it was Clark who played the role of his wife on "Webster.". Also Know, is Alex Karras related to Ted Karras? [22][23], In his later years, Karras suffered from serious health problems, including dementia, heart disease, and cancer. He was 77. Ted Jr. remembers his dad's application to be the offensive and defensive line coach. Lewand said Karras also loved to garden and cook. 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