His rugged personality on the football field led to a second career in television and film.
Born in Gary, Indiana, Karras excelled in multiple sports in high school, including baseball, track, wrestling, and basketball. But football … well, that was his sport. The all-state football player went on to star for the Iowa Hawkeyes and won the Outland Trophy (best interior lineman) in 1957.
Karras as a football star (photo NFL)
In 1958, Karras was drafted in the first round by the Detroit Lions. The heart and soul of the Lions’ defensive line for years, Karras intimidated quarterbacks as a relentless pass rusher, known for his power and speed.
Great on the field, troubles loomed off it. In 1963, Rozelle suspended Karras indefinitely for betting on football games. Karras was suspended along with Green Bay’s Paul Hornung, a star running back of the time. Rozelle later reinstated both players, and Karras continued his outstanding career.
Although he played for the so-so Lions (the team appeared in only one playoff game, losing to the Cowboys by the unusual 5-0 score), individually, Karras played in Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL 1960s All-Decade team.
Karras became a well-known actor after retiring from football. During his playing career, he played himself in Paper Lion, an adaptation of a book written about the Lions authored by George Plimpton. Karras also played–and is probably best remembered by–his role as Mongo in Mel Brooks’s Blazing Saddles (1974), and the scene where he punched a horse.
Karras as an actor (photo Hollywood Reporter)
He continued to act in the 1980s. Karras appeared in Porky’s, portraying a sheriff, the closeted bodyguard in Victor/Victoria, directed by Blake Edwards, and Against All Odds, starring James Woods. On TV, he played George Papadopoulos on the 1980s sitcom, Webster. He teamed up with Susan Clark, his second wife in that show, and they also appeared together in the TV film, Babe, about golfer Babe Zaharias. Karras also served as an analyst on Monday Night Football with Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford.
With an impressive career on the field and stage, Karras was an activist, too, joining thousands of former football players in a suit against the NFL regarding head injuries. He passed away in 2012 at the age of 77.
