Football great and actor Alex Karras dies

DETROIT -- Alex Karras was a man of many roles.

Fearsome NFL defensive lineman. Lovable TV dad. Hilarious big-screen cowboy.

And in the end, a dementia victim who blamed the NFL for his illness along with thousands of former players in lawsuits accusing the league of not doing enough to protect them from the long-term effects of head injuries.

The Karras, who managed to be tough, touching and tragic in the span of a lifetime, died Wednesday at his Los Angeles home surrounded by family, said Craig Mitnick, Karras' attorney. He was 77.

Karras was one of the NFL's most ferocious -- and best -- defensive tackles for the Detroit Lions from 1958-70, bulling past offensive lineman and hounding quarterbacks.

The charismatic bruiser went into acting after his football career, and in his signature scene dropped a horse with a punch as the soft-hearted outlaw Mongo in the 1974 comedy "Blazing Saddles." He also portrayed the father in the 1980s sitcom "Webster," along with his actress-wife Susan Clark, and was in the "Monday Night Football" broadcast booth along the way.

Born in Gary, Ind., Karras starred for four years at Iowa and was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Detroit drafted him with the 10th overall pick in 1958, and he was a three-time All-Pro over 12 seasons. He made the Pro Bowl four times and was recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a defensive tackle on the All-Decade Team of the 1960s and retired in 1970 at age 35.

But Karras also had run-ins with the NFL long before his lawsuit. He missed the 1963 season when he was suspended by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle in a gambling probe. Karras insisted he only wagered cigarettes or cigars with close friends.

"Alex Karras was an outstanding player during a time when the NFL emerged as America's favorite sport," the league said in a statement. "He will always be remembered as one of the most colorful characters in NFL history."

For all his prowess as a player, Karras may have gained more fame as an actor. He played himself in the movie adaptation of George Plimpton's "Paper Lion." In Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles," Karras played a not-so-bright outlaw who not only slugged a horse but also delivered the classic line: "Mongo only pawn in game of life." In the 1980s he became a hit on TV as Emmanuel Lewis' adoptive father, George Papadapolis, on "Webster."

"I had a very heavy heart this morning and I did not know why. I understand now," Lewis said. "Rest in peace, my friend."

Clark has said Karras started to show signs of dementia more than a dozen years ago, and she said his quality of life had deteriorated because of head injuries sustained during his playing career. He could no longer drive and couldn't remember recipes for some of the favorite Italian and Greek dishes he used to cook, she said.

In April, he became the lead plaintiff in a suit filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. He is among about 3,500 retired football players who accuse the league of not protecting them better from head injuries.