Posted on 10/08/2012 8:48:33 PM PDT by iowamark
Former Detroit Lions great Alex Karras is in failing health and currently in hospice care.
Karras, who played with the Lions from 1958-62 and then again from 1964-70 after sitting out a season for his role in a gambling scandal, is suffering from kidney failure and according to a report published Monday night in the Detroit Free Press, has been given a short amount of time to live.
Lions team president Tom Lewand issued the following statement Monday night:
"The entire Detroit Lions family is deeply saddened to learn of the news regarding the condition of one of our all-time greats, Alex Karras," Lions President Tom Lewand said Monday night. "Perhaps no player in Lions history attained as much success and notoriety for what he did after his playing days as did Alex.
"We know Alex first and foremost as one of the cornerstones to our Fearsome Foursome defensive line of the 1960s and also as one of the greatest defensive linemen to ever play in the NFL," Lewand said. "Many others across the country came to know Alex as an accomplished actor and as an announcer during the early years of Monday Night Football.
"We join his legions of fans from both sports and entertainment in prayer and support for Alex, his wife Susan, and his entire family during this most difficult time."
Karras was a force on the Lions defensive line who later starred on the big screen and television. He gained notoriety for his roles in the movie "Blazing Saddles" and the television series "Webster."
Before joining the Lions, Karras starred at the University of Iowa, where he led the Hawkeyes to a Rose Bowl win over Oregon State following the 1956 season.
He was an All-American in 1956 and 1957, winner of the 1957 Outland Trophy as most outstanding lineman in the country and runner-up in the voting for 1957 Heisman Trophy.
Karras was selected by the Lions with the first round draft choice in 1958. Over the course of a career during which he played 161 games, he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was named a member of the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1960s.
Good luck, Mongo!
is he the guy from Webster? how sad...
one of the best and funniest interviews of all time...i heard him talk about the game against the New Orleans Saints when Tom Dempsey kicked the record for the longest field goal in NFL history which stood for a long time at 59 yards...Dempsey, you may remember, had half a foot...
Karas said, “most guys limp off the field near the end of the game- this guy limped onto the field...we all just stood around and said, the hell with it- if he makes it good for him, and it went through the uprights”...
he was also great in Paper Lion with Alan Alda...
Only man, to my knowledge, to punch out a horse.
and “Against All Odds”
God bless Alex, you belong in the Hall!
Or to properly identify Otis Sistrunk’s alma mater.
And "Victor/Victoria" as James Garner's bodyguard.
Mark
I loved Karras, why isn't he on dialysis?
Oh and BTW, IDK who this Lewand a--hole is, but the only "Fearsome Foursome of the sixties" was the Front Four for the Los Angeles Rams: Rosie Grier, Lamar Lundy, Deacon Jones, and Merlin Olsen.
That's the end of that story right there.
I had no idea that was Alex,WOW!
Prayers up.
Mongo sad.
63 yards..regular season game...still stands though has been matched a few times..he was first
i remember it on TV
'Now go on. Get the f___ out of here.'
not just a great football player but I really loved his acting. His role as George Zaharias in Babe (the story of Babe Didrickson Zaharias) was one of the best preformances I have ever seen
Prayers up for him and family.
He can’t have any complaints. He had a very long moment in the sun.
CA....
Karras was smoking a cigar, with Tony Randall sitting to his right. Tony says to Johnny Carson, 'Would you please tell him not to smoke?' Karras then said to Johnny, 'Tell Mr. Randall I'm 6'2" and weigh 220 lbs. I'll smoke where I want.'
He was complaining to The Tonight Show about “foreign” kickers. He said “They say ‘I keek a touchdown’.”
IIRC, his quote was “We leave our blood, sweat and body parts all over the field for 59 minutes and then some little foreigner prances out there for five seconds and goes ‘Hooray! I keek a touchdown!’ to decide the game.”
It should be noted that Karras was talking about Cypriot kicker Garo Yepremian, a small man with a bald head who the Lions cut before Yepremian found Super Bowl fame with a botched pass attempt.
First thing I thought of was the gay bodyguard in Victor Victoria.
I remember thinking, well, that guy must have a good sense of humor. I guess it helps if you are the elephant in the room, nobody is going to make fun of you...
Mongo only pawn... In game of life.
Loved Webster....was that his real life wife on that show?? I think she was.
That was one of the all time great MNF lines!
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly"
Good catch - glad to see this corrected before my blood reached full boil. What a way for the author to ruin an otherwise OK article.
If I remember correctly, the defensive line of the Detroit Lions back in those days was called the "Silver Rush."
is he the guy from Webster?
Yes and I believe his wife on the show is his real wife as well. Prayers to entire family.
The “Silver Rush” of the Lions defense originated at a time when they were still playing at the Pontiac Silverdome and Alex Karras never played at the Silverdome.
Probably due to all of his other health problems, such as dementia, post-concussion issues, cancer, etc.. Perhaps he's tired of hanging on and is ready to go home.
Yes Susan Clark. They have 1 child and are apparently still together. Prayers up for them.
He may have been too sick to tolerate dialysis (for reasons unrelated to his kidney disease, for example, brain dysfunction), or perhaps he and/or his family decided against it.
Best to You and thanks Mr. Karras.
He told the story about being in a game , pre-season I think, and it was really hot. The Lions were way behind and he just wanted the game to be over. So, he decided to get into a fight and get tossed out of the game. I forget who was playing across from him, but he said something about the guy’s mother. The fight was on and they both were ejected from the game. After the game Karras was in an elevator going to the hotel bar for a cold one. The elevator stopped at a floor and there was the offensive lineman he’d insulted. Karras wasn’t really that big for a lineman and the other guy was huge. He said the guy got in the elevator and as it started down the guy pushed the stop button and proceeded to teach Karras about insulting people’s mother. I always thought Karras looked like he was having fun and never took himself too seriously.
Karras wrote a great football book in the early ‘70s with his teammate John Gordy and writer George Plimpton called “Mad Ducks and Bears”. Highly recommend it to any football fan.
Yes, and both were in The movie Porky’s.
yes, you are right about that... that is his real wife... how sad for her too... they seem really close...
OH How sad
Few months I did hear he join lawsuit against NFL about head injuries and they knew it increased of alzemerir and demeteria
I love him as Mongo
OH How sad
Few months I did hear he join lawsuit against NFL about head injuries and they knew it increased of alzemerir and demeteria
I love him as Mongo
I’m very sorry to hear this.
Hawkeye nation mourns a great one.
"Hello, ball!"
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