Fearsome NFL defensive lineman. Lovable TV Dad. Hilarious big screen cowboy.
And finally, a dementia victim blamed the NFL for his illness, along with thousands of former league players lawsuits accuse of not doing enough to protect the long-term effects of head injuries.
The Karras 77-year-old, who managed to be tough, poignant and tragic in the span of his life, died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by family, said Craig Mitnick, a lawyer for Karras.
Karras was one of the fiercest of the NFL - and best - defensive tackles Detroit Lions from 1958 to 1970, bulling past offensive lineman and quarterbacks harassment.
The charismatic boxer went to acting after his football career, and instead signed a horse fell with a thump as the softhearted Mongo outlawed in the 1974 comedy "Blazing Saddles". She also played the father in the 1980s sitcom "Webster", along with his wife, actress Susan Clark, and was at the booth of "Monday Night Football" broadcast along the way.
"Perhaps no player in Lions history had such success and notoriety for what he did after his playing days as Alex," said Lions president Tom Lewand for.
Born in Gary, Indiana, Karras starred for four years at Iowa and later was inducted into the Hall of Fame College Football. Detroit drafted him 10th overall pick in 1958, and was a three-time All-Pro defensive tackle for 12 seasons with the franchise.
He was the heart of the front of the Lions defense that terrorized quarterbacks. The Lions gave the champion Green Bay Packers their only loss in 1962, a 26-14 upset Thanksgiving during which constantly harassed quarterback Bart Starr.
Packers guard Jerry Kramer wrote in his diary of the 1967 season of concern about having to face Karras.
"I'm thinking about it every minute," Kramer wrote.
Karras was All-Pro in 1960, 1961 and 1965 and made the Pro Bowl four times. He was recognized by the Hall of Fame as a defensive tackle on the All-Decade team of the 1960s and retired from the NFL in 1970 at age 35.
But Karras also had brushes with the NFL long before his trial. He missed the 1963 season, when he was suspended by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle in a probe set. Karras bet insisted that cigarettes or cigars only with close friends.
"Alex Karras was an outstanding player at a time when the NFL become America's favorite sport," the league said in a statement. "He will always be remembered as one of the most colorful characters in the history of the NFL."
Despite his skill as a player, Karras may have gained more fame as an actor.
It was released through behind the scenes of George Plimpton's book "Paper Lion: Confessions of a string quarterback last" about what it was like to be an NFL player in Detroit.
Karras and Plimpton remain friends for life, and a son named Karras author. Karras played alongside Alan Alda in the movie adaptation of the bestselling book, and opened the doors to Karras to be an analyst Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford on "Monday Night Football".
In Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, "Karras played a not so bright, rough-around-the-edges outside the law, not only slugged a horse, but also delivered the classic line:". Mongo only pawn in Game of Life "
In 1980, he played a sheriff in the comedy "Porky" and became a hit on television as a foster parent Emmanuel Lewis, George Papadapolis, in the sitcom "Webster".
"He had a very strong heart this morning and I did not know why. Now understand," said Lewis. "Rest in peace, my friend."
Karras also had roles in "Against All Odds" and "Victor / Victoria". He portrayed the husband of the famous female athlete "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias in the television movie starring Clark in the title role. The two later formed his own production company.
Clark has said Karras began showing signs of dementia more than a dozen years ago, and she said that their quality of life has deteriorated because of head injuries sustained during his playing career. I could not drive and could not remember the recipes of some of the favorite Italian and Greek dishes that are used for cooking, he said.
In April, he became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. He is among about 3,500 retired football players accusing the league of failing to protect them better from head injuries.
"This physical beating he took as a football player has impacted your life, so it has impacted your family life," Clark told The Associated Press earlier this year. "He is interested in making the game safer football and hope that other families of retired players have a retirement healthier and happier."
The NFL claims that did not intentionally try to confuse players and says it has taken steps to better protect players and advance the science of concussion management and treatment.
"It's an ironic tragedy that Alex had to live with the devastating effects of playing the game he wanted," Mitnick said.
He said the NFL on August 30 filed a motion to dismiss all player actions, and plaintiffs response is due October 30.
Mitnick said the family has not decided whether to donate brains for study Karras, as did other families. The family issued a list of other diseases such as kidney failure, which he recently hospitalized, stomach cancer and heart disease.
Karras later wrote an autobiography, "Even Big Guys Cry" and two other books, "Alex Karras" and "Tuesday Night Football".
In addition to Clark, his wife of 37 years, is survived by his daughter and her four children from his first marriage to the late Joan Powell
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