Alex Karras
Encyclopedia
Alexander George "Alex" Karras (born July 15, 1935), nicknamed "The Mad Duck", is a former football
player, professional wrestler, and actor
, best known for his stint with the Detroit Lions
of the National Football League
from 1958–1962 and 1964-1970 and for his role as Mongo in the film Blazing Saddles
. In addition, he starred on the ABC
sitcom
Webster
, alongside real-life wife Susan Clark
, as the titular character's adoptive father.
and got his medical degree in Canada. There, George Karras met and married a Canadian woman, Alex's mother. George Karras opened a medical practice in Gary, Indiana, but he died when Alex was 13 years old. 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 Emerson High School.
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
. Because of this, Alex said, "Indiana had the inside track" on recruiting him, but shortly after he graduated high school, several coaches from the University of Iowa
took Karras up to Spencer, Iowa
, and persuaded him to sign with the Hawkeyes. The coaches had taken Karras to secluded Spencer to keep him away from rival recruiters.
Karras struggled his first few years at Iowa, with classwork, homesickness and with his coach, Forest Evashevski
. He was a pledge at Sigma Nu fraternity during his first year in school. Alex probably would have left Iowa had he not befriended a Greek theater owner, as well as fellow players Cal Jones
and Bob Commings
. Karras' sophomore year with Iowa in 1955 got off to a rocky start when he showed up for practice twenty pounds overweight. Karras was also hampered that season by a cracked ankle bone. After being disappointed at not getting to play in the season finale, Karras threw a shoe at Evashkevski and quit the team. Karras did not earn a football letter for the 1955 season.
Karras went to summer classes and whipped his body and grades into shape. He rejoined the football team, but a strained relationship resurfaced. Evashevski promised to start Alex Karras in the 1956 season opener against Indiana, when Alex would square off against his brother, Ted. But Evy played Karras off the bench instead, and Karras quit the team again. This time, he agreed to rejoin the team only after making Evashevski promise he would not talk to Karras other than in a purely coaching capacity. (Evashevski always denied any special agreement with Karras.)
Iowa took the lead in the 1956 Big Ten
title race with a 7-0 victory over Minnesota. The Hawkeyes then clinched the Big Ten
title and Iowa's first ever Rose Bowl berth by defeating Ohio State
, 6-0. Karras sealed the game with a quarterback sack on the game's final play.
Iowa's final regular season game in 1956 was against Notre Dame
, which Iowa won, 48-8. Karras called it his biggest college win, saying, "The Karrases have always had a rivalry with Notre Dame. The school was just 60 miles down the road from our home and we wanted to beat 'em at anything." However, after the game, Karras got into a physical battle with Evashevski.
Karras did not enjoy his trip to the Rose Bowl, either. "Pasadena was the most boring town I’ve ever been in," said Karras. Karras helped the Hawkeyes win the 1957 Rose Bowl over Oregon State, 35-19. He was a first team All-America
n in 1956.
Karras spent the summer of 1957 with an American track team of Greek descent. He participated in the shot put
, throwing a respectable 52 feet. In his senior season, Alex Karras was the most dominant lineman in the nation, winning the 1957 Outland Trophy
. He also was the runner-up in the voting for the Heisman Trophy
. Karras and Ohio State tackle John Hicks
(in 1973) are two of only three linemen ever finishing so high in the Heisman Trophy
voting. In 1949, Leon Hart, a Notre Dame end became the only lineman ever to win the Heisman Trophy (see Wikipedia; Heisman Trophy winners). In addition, Karras was a consensus first team All-American
in 1957.
Hawkeye teammate Randy Duncan
said,
Karras has not returned to Iowa since his playing days. He once remarked,
by the Detroit Lions
in 1958. He quickly became one of the dominant defensive tackles in the NFL, playing for 12 seasons (1958-1962, 1964-1970) with the same team, but missing the 1963 season for gambling activities. From 1960 to 1966, except for 1963, he played next to Roger Brown (defensive tackle), a formidable pair of defensive tackles, until the latter was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. From 1958 to 1970, the Lions were over .500 six of the 13 years, making the playoffs only once, 1970, with a 10-4 win-loss record, Karras' final year. Aside from 1970, their best years were 1962 (11-3) and 1969 (9-4-1). In 1962, the Lion defense allowed 177 points (12.6 points/game), in 1969 188 points (13.4 points/game), and in 1970 202 points (14.4 points/game), for all three years the second-least in the NFL, thanks in large part to a tough and rugged defensive line led by Karras. Despite not allowing a touchdown in the divisional round of the 1970-71 NFL playoffs, the Lions lost to the Dallas Cowboys
5-0, his first playoff game and his final game.
during the six-month off-season. Eight days later, he officially signed with the Lions, spurning an offer from the Canadian Football League
's Winnipeg Blue Bombers
.
On January 7, 1963, Karras's ownership in Detroit's Lindell AC Bar became a source of controversy when league officials urged him to sell his financial interests in the place because of reports of gambling and organized crime
influence. After first threatening to retire rather than give it up, Karras admitted placing bets on NFL games and was suspended by the league, along with Green Bay Packers
' running back Paul Hornung
, for one season (1963).
During his exile, Karras returned to pro wrestling
, taking on such memorable characters as Dick the Bruiser, but was then reinstated, along with Hornung, on March 16, 1964 by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle
. Upon returning to action in 1964, Karras once refused when an official asked him to call the pregame coin toss. "I'm sorry, sir," Karras replied. "I'm not permitted to gamble." During his first year back, player discontent with head coach George Wilson
resulted in Karras asking to be traded. However, the Lions settled the issue when they fired Wilson after the 1964 NFL season
.
After another season of controversy under new head coach Harry Gilmer
, Karras was rumored to be ready to play out his option and sign with the expansion Miami Dolphins
of the American Football League
under his former coach Wilson. 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.
Despite the new contract, controversy remained, as Karras and Gilmer sparred in midseason, with the coach reportedly ready to release the veteran defensive tackle. As before, it would be the coach who would depart, with Karras's former teammate Joe Schmidt
taking over.
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. During that preseason, he jokingly commented that he would walk back from Denver if the AFL Broncos
defeated the Lions. When that actually happened, Karras backtracked and flew home on the team plane.
Longtime teammate Joe Schmidt
became Lions coach in 1967. Karras was still an All-Pro
selection in 1967 to 1969, but after sustaining a knee injury late in the 1970 season, reported to training camp in 1971 with his job in jeopardy. After unimpressive performances in the 1971 preseason, Karras was released, ending his playing career at the age of 35.
of George Plimpton
's monfiction sports book
Paper Lion
, playing himself. Three years later, Karras was under consideration for the part of Carlo Rizzi, the duplicitous brother-in-law of the Corleone family, in The Godfather
. The role was one of many acting opportunities that developed following his performance in Paper Lion.
Following his release by the Lions in 1971, he began acting on a full-time basis, playing a Tennessee boy turned Olympic weightlifter named Hugh Ray Feather in 1973's The 500-Pound Jerk. He played a hulking villain who menaced Clint Walker
in the ABC TV film Hardcase. 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, and famously responded to a question from Sheriff Bart with, "Don't know..." (looking straight into the camera) "...Mongo only pawn in game of life."
That same year, he was quickly brought in by ABC to replace Fred Williamson
as a commentator for the network's Monday Night Football
. He served three years in that role until leaving after the 1976 NFL season
, with his most memorable comment coming in his first game, when he joked that bald Oakland Raiders
' lineman Otis Sistrunk
, who never attended college, was from "the University of Mars".
Karras returned to acting with roles that included as the sheriff (Porky's brother) in Porky's
and as western settler Hans Brumbaugh in Centennial
. He again showed a comedic flair playing a closeted homosexual bodyguard named "Squash" in the movie Victor Victoria. Karras played a darker role as Hank Sully, the right-hand-man of villain Jake Wise (played by James Woods) in the 1984 movie Against All Odds starring Jeff Bridges. Other notable acting roles for Alex Karras have included in Maid in America, Masada
, Arliss
, FM
, and Alcatraz.
His television roles included an appearance on M*A*S*H in the episode "Springtime", The Odd Couple
and a brief run on Match Game '75
. He also signed on to play the character "Super Jock" in commercials for a line of sports action toys by that name, produced by Schaper
(1975). In 1977 he was cast in the lead of the TV movie Mad Bull. He also played the role of a local constable in an episode of Daniel Boone.
In the 1980s, Karras had memorable success in the TV sitcom Webster
, playing George Papadapolis, the adoptive father of the title character, in a role that showcased his softer side. His actual wife, Susan Clark
, played his fictional wife in the series; she also had a role in Porky's
, but the two never appeared in the same scenes. He and Susan Clark were also in the CBS movie Babe (1975), he playing George Zaharias to her Babe Didrikson (Zaharias).
in 1977 and the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1991.
called The Cow.
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...
player, professional wrestler, and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known for his stint with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
of 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...
from 1958–1962 and 1964-1970 and for his role as Mongo in the film Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergman's story and draft. The movie was nominated for three...
. In addition, he starred on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Webster
Webster (TV series)
Webster is an American situation comedy that premiered on ABC on September 16, 1983, and ran on that network until September 11, 1987, but continued in first-run syndication until 1989...
, alongside real-life wife Susan Clark
Susan Clark
Susan Clark is a Canadian actress, possibly best-known for her role as Katherine on the American television sitcom Webster, on which she appeared with her husband, Alex Karras.-Personal life:...
, as the titular character's adoptive father.
College career
Alex Karras is the son of Dr. George Karras, a Greek immigrant (Chios) who graduated from the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and got his medical degree in Canada. There, George Karras met and married a Canadian woman, Alex's mother. George Karras opened a medical practice in Gary, Indiana, but he died when Alex was 13 years old. 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 Emerson High School.
His older brothers, Lou
Lou Karras
Louis George Karras is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, until an eye injury prematurely ended his career. He played college football at Purdue University...
(a future member of the Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
) and Ted
Theodore Karras
Theodore George Karras was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for four different teams. He played college football for Indiana University. His son, Ted Karras, played for the Washington Redskins in 1987. His brother is Alex Karras....
(who later played with the Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
), had played at Purdue
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
but later Ted transferred to Indiana
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
. Because of this, Alex said, "Indiana had the inside track" on recruiting him, but shortly after he graduated high school, several coaches from the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
took Karras up to Spencer, Iowa
Spencer, Iowa
Spencer is a city in the state of Iowa , and the county seat of Clay County . It is located at the confluence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers. The population was 11,233 in the 2010 census, a decline from 11,317 in the 2000 census. Spencer is famous as the home of the Clay County Fair,...
, and persuaded him to sign with the Hawkeyes. The coaches had taken Karras to secluded Spencer to keep him away from rival recruiters.
Karras struggled his first few years at Iowa, with classwork, homesickness and with his coach, Forest Evashevski
Forest Evashevski
Forest "Evy" Evashevski was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1940 and with the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks in 1942...
. He was a pledge at Sigma Nu fraternity during his first year in school. Alex probably would have left Iowa had he not befriended a Greek theater owner, as well as fellow players Cal Jones
Cal Jones
Calvin Jack Jones was a college football player for the University of Iowa. Jones is one of only two Iowa football players to have his jersey number retired by the school. Jones became the first Hawkeye, and the first African-American, to win the Outland Trophy in 1955...
and Bob Commings
Bob Commings
Bob Commings was a college football player and coach at the University of Iowa. He was also a high school football coach for 24 years in the state of Ohio.-Early life and playing career:...
. Karras' sophomore year with Iowa in 1955 got off to a rocky start when he showed up for practice twenty pounds overweight. Karras was also hampered that season by a cracked ankle bone. After being disappointed at not getting to play in the season finale, Karras threw a shoe at Evashkevski and quit the team. Karras did not earn a football letter for the 1955 season.
Karras went to summer classes and whipped his body and grades into shape. He rejoined the football team, but a strained relationship resurfaced. Evashevski promised to start Alex Karras in the 1956 season opener against Indiana, when Alex would square off against his brother, Ted. But Evy played Karras off the bench instead, and Karras quit the team again. This time, he agreed to rejoin the team only after making Evashevski promise he would not talk to Karras other than in a purely coaching capacity. (Evashevski always denied any special agreement with Karras.)
Iowa took the lead in the 1956 Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
title race with a 7-0 victory over Minnesota. The Hawkeyes then clinched the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
title and Iowa's first ever Rose Bowl berth by defeating Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, 6-0. Karras sealed the game with a quarterback sack on the game's final play.
Iowa's final regular season game in 1956 was against Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, which Iowa won, 48-8. Karras called it his biggest college win, saying, "The Karrases have always had a rivalry with Notre Dame. The school was just 60 miles down the road from our home and we wanted to beat 'em at anything." However, after the game, Karras got into a physical battle with Evashevski.
Karras did not enjoy his trip to the Rose Bowl, either. "Pasadena was the most boring town I’ve ever been in," said Karras. Karras helped the Hawkeyes win the 1957 Rose Bowl over Oregon State, 35-19. He was a first team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in 1956.
Karras spent the summer of 1957 with an American track team of Greek descent. He participated in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, throwing a respectable 52 feet. In his senior season, Alex Karras was the most dominant lineman in the nation, winning the 1957 Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
. He also was the runner-up in the voting for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. Karras and Ohio State tackle John Hicks
John Hicks (American football)
John Charles Hicks Jr. is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He is best remembered for being the last lineman to be runner-up in the vote for the Heisman Trophy.-College career:...
(in 1973) are two of only three linemen ever finishing so high in the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting. In 1949, Leon Hart, a Notre Dame end became the only lineman ever to win the Heisman Trophy (see Wikipedia; Heisman Trophy winners). In addition, Karras was a consensus first team All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
in 1957.
Hawkeye teammate Randy Duncan
Randy Duncan
Hearst Randolph "Randy" Duncan, Jr. is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Iowa. He played in two Rose Bowls and has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame...
said,
Karras has not returned to Iowa since his playing days. He once remarked,
NFL player
Alex Karras was drafted in the first round of the NFL draftNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in 1958. He quickly became one of the dominant defensive tackles in the NFL, playing for 12 seasons (1958-1962, 1964-1970) with the same team, but missing the 1963 season for gambling activities. From 1960 to 1966, except for 1963, he played next to Roger Brown (defensive tackle), a formidable pair of defensive tackles, until the latter was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. From 1958 to 1970, the Lions were over .500 six of the 13 years, making the playoffs only once, 1970, with a 10-4 win-loss record, Karras' final year. Aside from 1970, their best years were 1962 (11-3) and 1969 (9-4-1). In 1962, the Lion defense allowed 177 points (12.6 points/game), in 1969 188 points (13.4 points/game), and in 1970 202 points (14.4 points/game), for all three years the second-least in the NFL, thanks in large part to a tough and rugged defensive line led by Karras. Despite not allowing a touchdown in the divisional round of the 1970-71 NFL playoffs, the Lions lost to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
5-0, his first playoff game and his final game.
NFL controversies and professional wrestling
Before his NFL career got under way, he signed a contract as a professional wrestler on December 13, 1957, earning $25,000United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
during the six-month off-season. Eight days later, he officially signed with the Lions, spurning an offer from the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
.
On January 7, 1963, Karras's ownership in Detroit's Lindell AC Bar became a source of controversy when league officials urged him to sell his financial interests in the place because of reports of gambling and organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
influence. After first threatening to retire rather than give it up, Karras admitted placing bets on NFL games and was suspended by the league, along with Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
' running back Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66...
, for one season (1963).
During his exile, Karras returned to pro wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, taking on such memorable characters as Dick the Bruiser, but was then reinstated, along with Hornung, on March 16, 1964 by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle
Pete Rozelle
Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle was the commissioner of the National Football League from January 1960 to November 1989, when he retired from office. Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world....
. Upon returning to action in 1964, Karras once refused when an official asked him to call the pregame coin toss. "I'm sorry, sir," Karras replied. "I'm not permitted to gamble." During his first year back, player discontent with head coach George Wilson
George Wilson (football coach)
George Wilson was a professional football end and later a coach for the National Football League's Detroit Lions and the American Football League's Miami Dolphins....
resulted in Karras asking to be traded. However, the Lions settled the issue when they fired Wilson after the 1964 NFL season
1964 NFL season
The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to...
.
After another season of controversy under new head coach Harry Gilmer
Harry Gilmer
Harry Vincent Gilmer, Jr. is a former American football halfback and quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.-Early life:...
, Karras was rumored to be ready to play out his option and sign with the expansion Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
under his former coach Wilson. 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.
Despite the new contract, controversy remained, as Karras and Gilmer sparred in midseason, with the coach reportedly ready to release the veteran defensive tackle. As before, it would be the coach who would depart, with Karras's former teammate Joe Schmidt
Joe Schmidt
Joseph Paul Schmidt is a former American football player and coach at both the collegiate and professional levels. His 13-year career with the National Football League's Detroit Lions gained him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.-Collegiate career:Schmidt grew up in Pittsburgh,...
taking over.
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. During that preseason, he jokingly commented that he would walk back from Denver if the AFL Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defeated the Lions. When that actually happened, Karras backtracked and flew home on the team plane.
Longtime teammate Joe Schmidt
Joe Schmidt
Joseph Paul Schmidt is a former American football player and coach at both the collegiate and professional levels. His 13-year career with the National Football League's Detroit Lions gained him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.-Collegiate career:Schmidt grew up in Pittsburgh,...
became Lions coach in 1967. Karras was still an All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
selection in 1967 to 1969, but after sustaining a knee injury late in the 1970 season, reported to training camp in 1971 with his job in jeopardy. After unimpressive performances in the 1971 preseason, Karras was released, ending his playing career at the age of 35.
Movies and television
In 1968, Karras figured prominently in the film adaptationPaper Lion (film)
Paper Lion is a 1968 comedy film starring Alan Alda as writer George Plimpton, based on Plimpton's 1966 nonfiction book of the same title depicting his tryout with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League.-Cast:* Alan Alda - George Plimpton...
of George Plimpton
George Plimpton
George Ames Plimpton was an American journalist, writer, editor, and actor. He is widely known for his sports writing and for helping to found The Paris Review.-Early life:...
's monfiction sports book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
Paper Lion
Paper Lion
Paper Lion, published in 1966, is a non-fiction book by prominent American writer George Plimpton.In 1960, Plimpton, not a professional athlete, arranged to pitch to a lineup of baseball stars in an All-Star exhibition, presumably to answer the question, "How would the average man off of the street...
, playing himself. Three years later, Karras was under consideration for the part of Carlo Rizzi, the duplicitous brother-in-law of the Corleone family, in The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
. The role was one of many acting opportunities that developed following his performance in Paper Lion.
Following his release by the Lions in 1971, he began acting on a full-time basis, playing a Tennessee boy turned Olympic weightlifter named Hugh Ray Feather in 1973's The 500-Pound Jerk. He played a hulking villain who menaced Clint Walker
Clint Walker
Norman Eugene Walker, known as Clint Walker , is an American actor best known for his cowboy role as "Cheyenne Bodie" in the TV Western series, Cheyenne.-Life and career:...
in the ABC TV film Hardcase. A minor but memorable role came one year later in the western parody Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergman's story and draft. The movie was nominated for three...
(1974): the very strong and slow-witted thug Mongo, who rode into town on a huge brahman
Brahman (cattle)
The Brahman or Brahma is a breed of Zebu cattle , later exported from India to the rest of the world. The main breeds used were Kankrej, Gujurat, Nelore or Ongole and the Gir or Gyr cattle...
(marked with "yes" and "no" passing signals), knocked out a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
with one punch, and famously responded to a question from Sheriff Bart with, "Don't know..." (looking straight into the camera) "...Mongo only pawn in game of life."
That same year, he was quickly brought in by ABC to replace Fred Williamson
Fred Williamson
Fred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
as a commentator for the network's Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. He served three years in that role until leaving after the 1976 NFL season
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, with his most memorable comment coming in his first game, when he joked that bald Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' lineman Otis Sistrunk
Otis Sistrunk
Otis Sistrunk is a former professional football player who played seven seasons as a defensive lineman, from 1972 to 1978. He played his entire National Football League career with the Oakland Raiders. Sistrunk later became a professional wrestler in the National Wrestling Alliance...
, who never attended college, was from "the University of Mars".
Karras returned to acting with roles that included as the sheriff (Porky's brother) in Porky's
Porky's
Porky's is a 1982 comedy film about the escapades of teenagers at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida in 1954. It was released in the United States in 1982, and spawned two sequels: Porky's II: The Next Day and Porky's Revenge! and influenced many writers in the teen film genre...
and as western settler Hans Brumbaugh in Centennial
Centennial (miniseries)
Centennial is a 12-episode American television miniseriesthat aired on NBC from October 1978 to February 1979. It was based on the novel of the same name by James A. Michener. The miniseries was produced by John Wilder....
. He again showed a comedic flair playing a closeted homosexual bodyguard named "Squash" in the movie Victor Victoria. Karras played a darker role as Hank Sully, the right-hand-man of villain Jake Wise (played by James Woods) in the 1984 movie Against All Odds starring Jeff Bridges. Other notable acting roles for Alex Karras have included in Maid in America, Masada
Masada
Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel, on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is best known for the violence that occurred there in the first century CE...
, Arliss
Arliss
-Criticism:This show, which ran for seven seasons, is a prime example of how HBO differs from traditional networks due to its nature as a network its viewers specifically pay to be able to watch. Arliss was cited by so many viewers as the sole reason that they paid for the network that its...
, FM
FM (film)
FM is a 1978 directed by John A. Alonzo, and starring Michael Brandon, Eileen Brennan, Alex Karras and Cleavon Little. The screenplay was written by Ezra Sacks.This film was produced by Universal Pictures, and originally released to movie theaters in 1978....
, and Alcatraz.
His television roles included an appearance on M*A*S*H in the episode "Springtime", The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple (TV series)
The Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced men....
and a brief run on Match Game '75
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
. He also signed on to play the character "Super Jock" in commercials for a line of sports action toys by that name, produced by Schaper
Schaper Toys
Schaper Toys, or W.H. Schaper Mfg. Co., Inc. as it was originally known, was a game and toy company founded in 1949 by William Herbert Schaper in Minneapolis, Minnesota. "Herb" Schaper published a variety of games but was best known for having created the children's game, Cootie. Through the 1970s...
(1975). In 1977 he was cast in the lead of the TV movie Mad Bull. He also played the role of a local constable in an episode of Daniel Boone.
In the 1980s, Karras had memorable success in the TV sitcom Webster
Webster (TV series)
Webster is an American situation comedy that premiered on ABC on September 16, 1983, and ran on that network until September 11, 1987, but continued in first-run syndication until 1989...
, playing George Papadapolis, the adoptive father of the title character, in a role that showcased his softer side. His actual wife, Susan Clark
Susan Clark
Susan Clark is a Canadian actress, possibly best-known for her role as Katherine on the American television sitcom Webster, on which she appeared with her husband, Alex Karras.-Personal life:...
, played his fictional wife in the series; she also had a role in Porky's
Porky's
Porky's is a 1982 comedy film about the escapades of teenagers at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida in 1954. It was released in the United States in 1982, and spawned two sequels: Porky's II: The Next Day and Porky's Revenge! and influenced many writers in the teen film genre...
, but the two never appeared in the same scenes. He and Susan Clark were also in the CBS movie Babe (1975), he playing George Zaharias to her Babe Didrikson (Zaharias).
Honors
In conjunction with the 100 Years of Hawkeye Football celebration in 1989, Iowa Hawkeye fans selected an all-time team. The squad featured 11 players on offense and defense, two kickers, and 15 special-mention players who received strong fan support. Alex Karras was voted to the team as a defensive lineman. Karras was elected to the Iowa Sports Hall of FameIowa Sports Hall of Fame
The Iowa Sports Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Des Moines Register, honors outstanding athletes and sports contributors. To be eligible, members must have either been born in Iowa or gained prominence while competing for a college or university in Iowa....
in 1977 and the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1991.
Later activities
Karras also worked briefly as a football coach in 2007 and 2008. He worked for the SIL as an assistant coach to Bob Lombardi. Recently he has owned an ice cream parlor in Surfside Beach, South CarolinaSurfside Beach, South Carolina
Surfside Beach is a small seaside town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States situated directly south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Its nickname is "The Family Beach". The population was 4,425 at the 2000 census...
called The Cow.