Alex Karras Dies
 

Re: Alex Karras Dies
 

This one hurts. Alex Karras was the first professional athlete I ever met. My all-time favorite Detroit Lion, larger than life, the reason I loved football.

He used to be part owner of a place in Detroit with the Butsicaris brothers, local celebs in their own right. Lindell AC (athletic club) was the place to go before & after all local Detroit sporting events, a place the athletes themselves would hang out. It was the place my Dad took me for many a Lions, Tigers and RedWings game.

I was too young to see it, but Karras wrestled Dick-the-Bruiser (Dick Afflis, GB). That feat alone, entering the ring with the Bruiser, was enough to put him in my hall-of-fame. He was the closest Lion to Tom Dempsey's record-setting and game-winning field goal of Nov 8, 1970, often commenting he could have blocked that kick but wanted to see if Dempsey could really make it ... he was a funny guy. (4) NFL Pro Bowls, an Outland Trophy winner at Iowa, Karras was also runner-up in the voting for the Heisman Trophy ... as a lineman. Cornerstone of the NFL's original "Fearsome Foursome" ... Roger Brown, Alex Karras, Darris McCord and Joe Schmidt. Proclaimed by offensive line great, Jerry Kramer (GB), in his book 'Diary of a GreenBay Packer', as the hardest D/L he ever had to block.

Karras went into acting after football, and most people remember him as 'Mongo' in Blazing Saddles or 'George Papadopolis' in Webster. He also starred in Porky's, Against All Odds, the TV mini-series Centennial (as potato farmer Hans Brumbaugh, his best role, IMO), an episode of M.A.S.H., guest appearances in other sitcoms & gameshows, did some announcing on Monday Night Football and briefly had his own football show, the Alex Karras Football Show, on CKLW. I always enjoyed seeing Karras on the big screen or in cameo appearances and pointing out to anyone around, "Did you know that guy played for the Detroit Lions?" and going on to tell them how good he was.

Yep, this one's gonna' be a little hard to take, <sigh>. My condolences to the Karras family, #71 was one of the great ones.

Re: Alex Karras Dies
 

One of the great ones. RIP.

Re: Alex Karras Dies
 

RIP

Re: Alex Karras Dies
 

Mongo only pawn in game of life...


One of my favorite movie characters ever. Had no idea until recently that he was one of the all-time greats at football also.

R.I.P. Mr. Karras