Movie fans will always remember Alex Karras as Mongo, the slow thug under the 10-gallon hat who rode into town on a Brahman bull and then knocked out a horse with one punch in Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles.”Karras also played himself in the 1968 film adaptation of George Plimpton’s book, “Paper Lion.”
Television fans might remember him from the 1980s when he played the father George Papadapolis on “Webster” alongside his real-life wife Susan Clark.
However, many long-time Detroit Lions fans have a special place in their hearts for Alex Karras, a member of the Fearsome Foursome defensive line unit in the 1960s.
Karras died at his Los Angeles home on Wednesday morning surrounded by family after a heroic fight with kidney disease, heart disease, dementia and for the last two years, stomach cancer. He was 77.
He is considered one of the greatest defensive linemen to ever play in the NFL and was named to the Pro Bowl four times, but is not a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Karras played for the Lions from 1958-1970 with a one-year break in 1963 while he served a suspension for betting on NFL games — along with Green Bay Packers halfback Paul Hornung — for betting on NFL games.
Charlie Sanders, the Lions assistant director of pro personnel, was a rookie with the Lions in 1968 and played three seasons with Karras.
He remembers him well.
“He was just naturally a funny guy. You’d look at him just his stature, he had the wide shoulders, he had the small waist and the little skinny legs,’’ Sanders said. “If you looked at him you’d start laughing and you would not associate this guy with being one of the meanest and toughest guys in the NFL, he didn’t have that stature about him.
“So that in itself says a lot about his ability to accomplish the things he did. He didn’t have the stature of Rosey Grier or Roger Brown. He was just a short, stocky kid that smoked a cigar,’’ Sanders said.
He confirmed that Karras used to smoke cigars in the locker room showers.
“He was the Godfather, that’s what Godfathers do, I think. That was his symbol, was his cigar and of course the thick glasses and the big, burly chest, the bird legs, that was Alex,’’ Sanders said.
It was a different NFL back then, but still Sanders can’t quite explain how Karras could excel being so under-sized. It was not his work in the weight room.
“Alex never lifted weights, Alex just smoked cigars and rank beer,’’ Sanders said.
Lions coach Jim Schwartz said he never got a chance to meet Karras.
“Obviously I followed not only his football career, but his acting career. I don’t think there’s anybody that saw ‘Blazing Saddles’ that doesn’t have respect for him even if they weren’t a Lions fan,’’ Schwartz said. “Sad day for America – a lot of people got to know him through TV shows and stuff like that. The people in Detroit were lucky to have him play here.”
Back in his prime Karras was a larger than life character. He was told to stay away from the Lindell AC in downtown Detroit by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle who called it a gambling haven. Instead, during Karras’ suspension he bought shares in the place and became a bartender. He was reinstated to the NFL in March 1964 when he got out of the bar business.
Karras was a force on the field, but only made the playoffs in his final season. In his only playoff game the Lions defense didn’t allow a touchdown but lost 5-0 to the Dallas Cowboys.
It would be Karras’ final game. He had injured his knee late in the 1970 season and reported to training camp in 1971 knowing his job was on the line.
Starting in college, Karras had a problem dealing with coaches. The book, “100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die” details his coaching history:
“He quit playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes more than once after disagreements with his coach Forest Evashevski. In his senior season in 1957 Karras won the Outland Trophy as the most dominant lineman in the nation. He was also a runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting which was and still is unusual for a lineman. In 1977 he was selected to the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame and in 1991 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame “After he battled with Lions coach George Wilson, Karras asked for a trade but instead Wilson was fired in 1964. Karras didn’t get along with his replacement, Harry Gilmer, either. Gilmer and Karras sparred and eventually Gilmer was fired and replaced by Joe Schmidt, Karras’ former teammate.’’
Karras is survived by his wife of 37 years, Susan Clark and their daughter, Katherine; by his children, Alex, Jr., Peter, Carolyn, George and Renald from his first marriage to Joan Powell (now deceased). He is also survived by his siblings, Louis, Nan, Paul and Ted as well as five grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made to one of the organizations Alex Karras ardently supported: Natural Resources Defense Council, Bioneers, Greenpeace Foundation or the Pesticide Action Network.
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