Hot! Remembering Alex Karras As A Football Player

Alex Karras loved to perform. He s famous for his success as an actor but he should also be remembered as one of the N.F.L. s defensive stars of the 1960s. Karras died on Wednesday of kidney failure Alex Karras is perhaps best known for his one-punch knockout of a horse in Blazing Saddles ( Mongo only pawn in game of life ), or as the adoptive father in Webster , the ABC sitcom he starred in along side his wife, Susan Clark, or even as one of the voices in the heyday of Monday Night Football, in the mid-70s. But before all of that, Karras was No. 71 of the Detroit Lions, one of the N.F.L. s best defensive tackles of the 1960s.

Karras was born and raised in Gary, Ind., where his father was the community doctor. He was all-state for three years in high school at guard, tackle and fullback.

At the University of Iowa, despite quitting the team at least twice after disputes with his coach, Forest Evashevski, Karras was so good that he was named an all-American as a two-way tackle in 1956 and 1957. That year, as a senior, he also won the Outland Trophy as the nation s top collegiate lineman, and he finished second to John David Crow in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.

Karras was selected by the Lions in the first round of the 1958 draft (10th over all). He spent 12 seasons at left defensive tackle in Detroit, from 1958-1962, and from 1964-1970, when an injury to his right knee effectively ended his career. He was named first team All-Pro in 1960, 1961 and 1965, and he was selected for the Western Division Pro-Bowl team four times, from 1960-1962 and again in 1965. Karras, Merlin Olsen of the Rams and Bob Lilly of the Cowboys were the three defensive tackles chosen for the All-Decade team of the 1960s.

In 1960, Karras and ends Darris McCord and Bill Glass were joined by a 6-foot-5 inch, 300-pound rookie, Roger Brown, at right defensive tackle. They quickly developed into one of the N.F.L. s best young defensive lines. Brown s presence provided Karras with more opportunities for a one-on-one matchup with the guard on passing downs. The center couldn t double-team both of them.

The Lions didn t have enough offense to seriously challenge the Packers in the Western Division in the early 60s. In 1962, their defense, which featured four future Hall of Famers middle linebacker Joe Schmidt, cornerbacks Night Train Lane and Dick LeBeau, and safety Yale Lary allowed 177 points, second fewest in the league. They finished 11-3, still two games behind Green Bay.

That year, Sam Williams replaced Bill Glass at right defensive end. In the annual Thanksgiving Day game against the Packers at Tiger Stadium, the Lions sacked Bart Starr, depending on the source, 10 or 11 times, including once for a safety. Williams also returned a fumble for a touchdown as the Lions built a 26-0 lead after three quarters in an eventual 26-14 victory. The Green Bay offense was held to 122 net yards in their only loss of the season.