Alex Karras Has Died at age 77

**Meddle** · October-10-12, 10:36 AM

Alex Karras, an All-Pro defensive lineman who went on to even greater fame as an actor, died Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home. He was 77.

Craig Mitnick, Karras' attorney, said Karras was surrounded by family.

Karras had been suffering from dementia and it was announced Tuesday that his kidneys were failing.

He was chosen 10th overall by the Detroit Lions in 1958 out of Iowa and was a four-time All-Pro defensive tackle over 12 seasons with the team.

Karras' best-known roles were as the dad in the 1980s sitcom “Webster,” and as Mongo in the Mel Brooks comedy "Blazing Saddles," in which he memorably punched a horse and later uttered the classic line, "Mongo only pawn in game of life."

In the 1980s, he played a sheriff in the raunchy comedy “Porky's” and starred as Emmanuel Lewis' adoptive father, George Papadapolis, in “Webster.”

“Perhaps no player in Lions history attained as much success and notoriety for what he did after his playing days as did Alex,” Lions president Tom Lewand said.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sports...,4079421.story

**George Cassidy** · October-10-12, 10:38 AM

RIP, Mad Duck. I hope to see you and Hunchy again at the Lion's Den, Mack Ave., Heaven. But not for a while.

**p69rrh51** · October-10-12, 10:41 AM

Mongo only pawn in game of life!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKRma7PDW10

**Danny** · October-10-12, 10:57 AM

In the mid 1980s just years after retiring from the Detroit Lions, Alex Karras become an actor playing in his first satirical western movie Blazzing Saddles as Mongo. It was first western film since the Good, The Bad and The Ugly that took number one in the box office in 1974 for 2 weeks. The movie was a low budget it cost about 3 million dollars. It made almost 120 million dollars within 3 months. Alex went on to play a role as a Chicago Sportscaster George Papadopoulos on ABC's prime time sit-com Webster. It was meant to rival NBC's sit-com Diff'rent Strokes concerning that white parents can adopt black kids.

Both of these shows broke racial family lines and more American families can adopt any kids from any color.

**Kathleen** · October-10-12, 11:04 AM

Detroit Lions football back in the late 60's and early 70s is something to remember. What a team!!! Alex Karras #71 was larger than life to us young kids watching them Sunday after Sunday!!! RIP, Big Guy!!!

**Gary** · October-10-12, 11:24 AM

The 60s Lions used to occasionally practice at the University of Detroit football stadium, which is now a parking lot. Sometimes, us neighborhood brats would ride our bikes over there to get a glimpse of our heroes. After one such practice session, the team was walking from the stadium into the locker room in the U-D field house, and some of us worked up the courage to ask for autographs. The players were obviously tired and sweaty, so most of them just ignored us, but Alex Karras was not one of them and I was lucky enough to get his autograph, I have always thought very highly of him since then.

R.I.P. Mr. Karras from the kid on the red Schwinn.

**trotwood** · October-10-12, 11:45 AM

What a loss.
RIP dear Mr.Karras&thank you!

**kenp** · October-10-12, 12:19 PM

in the late 60's Alex had a part in a golf course in Fenton called Shore Acres.
There were many crazy outings with celebs and sport stars. The had a tournament for a couple years that had animals, clowns, helipcopters, bands and freaks roaming the course distracting celebraties trying to golf.
If you ever see the Haywood Hale Broun show on ESPN they actually did a piece on the tournamment which was aired on the CBS news at the time.
Alex was an interesting guy and will be missed.

**p69rrh51** · October-10-12, 12:37 PM

The cover sums it all up!

**Hermod** · October-10-12, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Kathleen

Detroit Lions football back in the late 60's and early 70s is something to remember. What a team!!! Alex Karras #71 was larger than life to us young kids watching them Sunday after Sunday!!! RIP, Big Guy!!!

Ya, but the Lions in the 50's actually won championships.

**Hermod** · October-10-12, 01:03 PM

No mention of Karras couple of season stint on ABC Monday night Football with Frank Gifford and Howard Cowsmell??

**Wheels** · October-10-12, 01:10 PM

Just reminiscing him yesterday after reading the thread on the Lindell A.C.
Ironic how that happens sometimes.

R.I.P. Mongo.

**Switchmanjim** · October-10-12, 01:49 PM

RIP Thanks for the memories!

**EZZ** · October-10-12, 02:08 PM

http://blog.detroitathletic.com/2009...ndell-ac/R.I.P. Alex Karras. Here's an excerpt from the above address:

When the bar relocated just down the street at Cass and Michigan in 1963, it officially became the Lindell AC [[“Athletic Club”) thanks to the late Detroit News columnist Doc Greene, a regular drinking patron and the joint’s “Godfather”. It was Greene who added the moniker “Athletic Club” in a left hook aimed at the high brow Detroit Athletic Club [[“DAC”) a few blocks away.

Pugilistic episodes in the 1960’s involving Lion star Alex Karras and Billy Martin along with two television films brought the bar national attention.

In 1963 NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle suspended Karras and Packer Paul Hornung for gambling on games and ordered Karras to sell his one third partnership in the Lindell, claiming the bar was a haven for undesirable characters.

During his one year suspension Karras wrestled professionally. Six days prior to an Olympia Stadium bout against “Dick the Bruiser”, the two were involved in a Lindell brawl that tore up the bar and sent a handful of Detroit police officers to the hospital. Years later as a movie actor, Karras portrayed Jimmy Butsicaris in the CBS film, “Jimmy B and Andre”, the true story of how the tough bar owner had taken a young black ghetto kid under his wing.

Six years after the Karras-Bruiser donnybrook, Twins manager Billy Martin KO’d his own pitcher, Dave Boswell with 20 stitches in the alley behind the Lindell after the drunken hurler “sucker punched” teammate Bob Allison. A decade later, Martin and Jimmy B played themselves in the TV movie, “One In A Million: The Ron Leflore Story” which described how Butsicaris convinced then Tiger manager Martin to give Jackson Prison inmate and future All Star Leflore a baseball tryout.

Karras also starred as himself in the movie "Paper Lion".

**douglasm** · October-10-12, 02:08 PM

Kathleen was right. If there is one player from the 60's era Lions that comes immediately to mind, it's not Nick Pietrosante, Yale Lary, Dick Lane or Milt Plum, it's Alex Karras. R. I. P.

**paddlebobb** · October-10-12, 03:26 PM

Alex Karras truly was a franchise type player. The big hurt that he and his fellow Fearsome Foursome mates put on Bart Starr during the 1962 Thanksgiving Day game was my favorite Detroit football memory. Though they didn't win any NFL championships in the 60's and early 70's, that era really marked the last time that the Lions were truly competitive in the league.

**mikefmich** · October-10-12, 04:04 PM

My very first Lions game.....Thanksgiving Day, 1962. What a day, Karras and the boys had Bart Starr eating dirt all day, the crowd was nuts.

For those of you old enough or savvy enough about Lions history, you have to know about that game.

RIP Alex

**p69rrh51** · October-10-12, 04:43 PM

Another SI cover!

**the rock** · October-10-12, 05:42 PM

Who was the football player who Karras used to describe on Monday night football as graduating from "The University of Mars."? I think he played for the Raiders.

**Pickford-Bentler** · October-10-12, 05:45 PM

Otis Sistrunk

**Wheels** · October-10-12, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by the rock

Who was the football player who Karras used to describe on Monday night football as graduating from "The University of Mars."? I think he played for the Raiders.

Otis Sistrunk.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...9845/index.htm