Alex Karras, the beloved Detroit Lion, who appeared in TV shows, movies and commercials and did a three-year stint on Monday Night Football, died today in California at age 77, the Detroit Lions announced.
He had been suffering from dementia, heart and kidney disease.
Karras had played for the Lions from 1958 to 1970 and was suspended in 1963 for a year for gambling in a scandal that involved Paul Hornung.
Gary Mihoces of USA Today described him as " a bull-necked defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions who chased NFL quarterbacks on muddy fields more than 50 years ago but was ahead of his time as a multimedia personality."
Lions President Tom Lewand issued a statement that was posted on the Lions website: “While his legacy reached far beyond the gridiron, we always will fondly remember Alex as one of our own and also as one of the best to ever wear the Honolulu Blue and Silver.”
According to a release from the Karras family, he had always dreamed of being an actor. He started while still playing with Detroit by starring in Paper Lion, a movie about the Lions based on a book by George Plimpton. Karras and Plimpton remained life-long friends.
That performance, the family said, led to two dozen appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He went on to do three seasons with Monday Night football and the TV show Webster. Lucille Ball took him under her wing and allowed him to train in small parts in many Desilu productions, the family press release said.
He had roles in Blazing Saddles, Against All Odds and Porky's.
He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Susan Clark and their daughter, Katherine.
