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The Spectacle Blog
NFL legend, professional wrestler and actor Alex Karras passed away today of complications of kidney disease. He was 77.
Karras played defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions for 12 seasons, attaining Pro Bowl status four times and was part of the “Fearsome Foursome” which included Darris McCord, Roger Brown and Sam Williams. If not for his suspension during the 1963 season for betting on the 1962 NFL Championship Game, Karras would have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
During his exile from the NFL, Karras moonlighted as a professional wrestler. His most notable match was against Dick The Bruiser because of the real life animosity between them.
But Karras was arguably better known as an actor than as a football player. That career began when he played himself in the film version of George Plimpton’s best-seller Paper Lion. Karras was in movies such as Porky’s, Victor Victoria and Against All Odds. But Karras is undoubtedly best remembered for his portrayal of Mongo in Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles in which he, shall we say, mistreated a horse on the set.
Karras spent the late 1970s as a commentator on ABC’s Monday Night Football and in the 1980s became known as a TV Dad playing Emmanuel Lewis’ adoptive father alongside Susan Clark (to whom he was married in real life) in Webster.
I remember Karras hosting an episode of SNL in 1984 because he and Jim Belushi dressed up in golf gear and did a white guy rap and wish I could leave you with it but I cannot find the video online. Instead, I will leave you with these words of wisdom from Mongo.
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More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
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Oldefarte| 10.10.12 @ 3:40PM
Aaron, I'll beg to differ with you slightly as to Karras' fame. To many of us Saints fans, he was #71 in a famous picture/video as the Detroit Lions DE who rushed unsuccessfully the Saints' Tom Dempsey who kicked the record 63 yard field goal in the 1960s. Karras subsequently made a mini-famous series of TV appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight show describing the comical aspects of same event, including claiming that he and his fellow Lions fell out on the playing field laughing from the thought of anyone being able to kick a field goal of that distance, only to get up off the field to learn that same kick went through the uprights. As you indicated, I suggest anyone interested to view a video of the movie Paper Lion [that featured Karras] also. As I am old enough to have followed his football career with the Lions, I am truly saddened to know of his passing. He obviously made the most of his 77 years on this earth, since he was not only a successful athlete, but a movie/TV actor as well. Sad sad day indeed....may the Almighty bless and keep him forever!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul McGrath| 10.10.12 @ 3:48PM
As a boy growing up in the Detroit area, Karras was one of my favorite players. He was a very funny guy, too.
Here's a couple of anecdotes:
In Jerry Kramer's book, Instant Replay--still perhaps one of the best football memoirs ever written--he describes a teammate who played against Karras. Not knowing that Karras was playing hurt, he had a good game against him, and afterward stated that he didn't think that Karras had very many good moves.
WEll, Karras didn't forget this, and later in the year they met again. Only this time Karras had returned to full health and spent the day pummeling the poor guy. After flattening him, yet again, he stood over him and said, "How do you like those moves, assface?"
In 1971 Tom Dempsey kicked a 63 yard field goal--unheard of at the time--on the last play of the game to beat the Lions 19-17. (I'll never forget it. It broke my heart.) Karras was asked after the game why he didn't make a better effort to get through the line to block the field goal. He said, Heck, I wasn't trying to go after him; I was just trying to push the guard out of the way to get a better view of this clown trying to kick a field goal from his own 37 yard line!
Butch| 10.10.12 @ 3:55PM
He was funny without a script, too. I really enjoyed him on Monday Night football. I remember his comment about a Greek field goal kicker with a long name (which I forget): "I didn't know he was Greek until I saw him in the shower."
Albert Constantine Jr.| 10.10.12 @ 4:12PM
When I heard on the radio that he had died, that "Mongo is but pawn in game of life" scene was the first thing that came to mind, but not far behind was his role in a "Love, American Style" series episode on a Friday in 1971.
CJW| 10.10.12 @ 6:01PM
I remember as a youth watching the1962 Thanksgiving game between the Packers and Lions where Karras sacked Bart Starr repeatedly and the Lions won big. Karras was funny on the Carson show, and Mongo is a classic.
Karras also did funny commercials for Fayo pop in Detroit.
RIP
Crassus| 10.10.12 @ 7:59PM
One mistake here. Alex Karras was inducted into the pro football Hall of Fame in 1975.
Aaron Goldstein| 10.10.12 @ 10:12PM
The Class of 1975 consisted of Roosevelt Brown, George Connor, Dante Lavelli and Lenny Moore. Regrettably, Alex Karras wasn't enshrined in Canton in that year or any other.
Karras was, however, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
Moe Blotz| 10.11.12 @ 2:20AM
The second mistake: "Fearsome Foursome" was Lamar Lundy, Roosevelt Greer, Merlin Olsen, and Deacon Jones of the Ellay Rams. Karras also played an Olympic super heavyweight lifter in "The 500 Pound Jerk".