Multiple news stations are reporting Alex Karras will pass in the next day or so from kidney failure. Most will remember him from Blazing Saddles, if not the Detroit Lions. But, for Iowa fans, he will be remembered as one of our favorite Hawkeyes. When he played on defense next to Cal Jones (the first black man to be first team concensus all-american three years in a row), the Hawkeyes were known as the bullies of the Big Ten. Cal Jones never received the same accolades as Karras, as he died in a plane crash when he was 23, but he was actually the better player by most accounts. There was never a dull moment for Hawkeye fans when Karras came to Iowa. He once threw a shoe at coach Forest Evashevski because the coach wanted him play more time on offense. Karras only liked defense..."you can't hurt nobody playing offense". He hated Evy. He once quit the team, then only came back when the coach promised to only talk to him about football, nothing else. Everything from how he got recruited to his gambling stint with Paul Hornung made news. Like Billy Cannon for the Tigers, Karras will always have his place in Hawkeye lore. May he rest in peace.
My parents were at the Detroit / saints game way back when when Tom Dempsey kicked the longest fg which still,stands I think but tied a few times. Karras was on that team and said no one tried to block it and the defense was actually laughing at Dempsey before the kick. Said they just ran behind the line to get a good view bc it had no chance. Funny dude. I didn't realize he played at Iowa.
i didnt know him from football, but liked him on webster. when iw as a kid i was really into repeating his character's name, george popadopoulis, which really had a rhythm to it.
Rookie. Karras was huge in football. All-American Heisman finalist, All-Pro defensive tackle. The guy had amazing quickness for his size, if not particularly graceful. They called him The Mad Duck. When he got suspended from the NFL for a year for gambling, he worked as a pro wrestler. It's where he got his acting chops.
Karras died earlier today. Should have been a Hall of Famer; the suspension is probably what kept him out.
My first memory of Karras was from the movie "Paper Lion" based upon the George Plimpton book. Alan Alda played Plimpton in the movie as a writer QB wannabe, it was Alda's first starring role. Karras was awesomely intimidating as the real-life Detroit DE. Begged my parents to take me to see it after I read the book, I think I was 10. RIP Candygram for Mongo.
Of course. He was on Johnny carson just being funny according to my dad. Although the defense laughing at Dempsey is legit. That actually happened. I read it in some old football book.
