DETROIT (AP) — Alex Karras, the rugged lineman who
anchored the Detroit Lions’ defense in the 1960s, then went on to an
acting career in which he starred in the sitcom "Webster" and famously
punched a horse in the 1974 comedy "Blazing Saddles," died Wednesday. He

was 77.
Karras, who had recently suffered kidney failure, died at
home in Los Angeles surrounded by family members, said Craig Mitnick,
Karras’ attorney.
Diagnosed with dementia, Karras in April joined
the more than 3,500 former NFL players suing the league for not
protecting them better from head injuries, immediately becoming one of
the best-known names in the legal fight.
Detroit drafted Karras
with the 10th overall pick in 1958 out of Iowa and he was a four-time
All-Pro defensive tackle over 12 seasons with the franchise.
He
was a terror on the field, using a variety of moves to push around
opposing linemen and get into the backfield. His Lions handed the
powerful 1962 Green Bay Packers their only defeat that season, a 26-14
upset on Thanksgiving during which they harassed quarterback Bart Starr
constantly.
Packers guard Jerry Kramer wrote in his diary of the 1967 season about his
trepidation over having to play Karras.
"I’m thinking about him every minute," Kramer wrote.
For all his prowess on the field, Karras may have gained more fame when he turned to
acting in the movies and on television.
Playing
a not-so-bright bruiser in Mel Brooks’ "Blazing Saddles," he not only
slugged a horse but also delivered the classic line: "Mongo only pawn in
game of life."
Several years before that, Karras had already
become a bit of a celebrity through George Plimpton’s behind-the-scenes
book about what it was like to be an NFL player in the Motor City,
"Paper Lion: Confessions of a Second-string Quarterback."
That led
to Karras playing himself in the successful movie adaption, and it
opened doors for Karras to be an analyst alongside Howard Cosell and
Frank Gifford on "Monday Night Football."
In the 1980s, he played a
sheriff in the comedy "Porky’s" and became a hit on the small screen as
Emmanuel Lewis’ adoptive father, George Papadapolis, in the sitcom
"Webster."
"Perhaps no player in Lions history attained as much
success and notoriety for what he did after his playing days as did
Alex," Lions president Tom Lewand said.
Recently, his wife said Karras’ quality of life has deteriorated because of head
injuries sustained during his playing career.
Susan
Clark said earlier this year that her husband couldn’t drive after
loving to get behind the wheel and couldn’t remember recipes for some of
the favorite Italian and Greek dishes he used to cook.
"This
physical beating that he took as a football player has impacted his
life, and therefore it has impacted his family life," Clark told The
Associated Press earlier this year. "He is interested in making the game
of football safer and hoping that other families of retired players
will have a healthier and happier retirement."
Clark, who also
played the wife of Karras’ loveable character on "Webster," has said he
was formally diagnosed with dementia several years ago and has had
symptoms for more than a dozen years. He joined hundreds of other former
players suing the league.
"It’s the same thing as back in the
gladiator days when the gladiators fought to death," Mitnick, who
represents Karras and hundreds of others in the suit, has said. "Fans
care about these guys when they’re playing and they are heroes. But as
soon as you’re not a hero and not playing the fan doesn’t really care
what happens to them."
The NFL has said it did not intentionally
seek to mislead players and has taken action to better protect players
and to advance the science of concussion management and treatment.
Karras
played his entire NFL career with the Lions before retiring in 1970 at
age 35. He was a first-team All-Pro in 1960, 1961 and 1965, and he made
the Pro Bowl four times. He missed the 1963 season when he was suspended
by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle in a gambling probe. Karras was
recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a defensive tackle on the
All-Decade Team of the 1960s.
He was born and raised in Gary, Ind., and was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall
of Fame in 1976.
"We
know Alex first and foremost as one of the cornerstones to our Fearsome
Foursome defensive line of the 1960s and also as one of the greatest
defensive linemen to ever play in the NFL," Lewand said. "Many others
across the country came to know Alex as an accomplished actor and as an
announcer during the early years of ‘Monday Night Football.’"
___
AP Sports Columnist Tim Dahlberg and AP Pro Football Writer Howard Fendrich
contributed to this report.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.