Musings from and about
About Alex Karras
More than 20 years ago I had dinner at Alex Karras and Susan Clarks’ house. As I recall their daughter Katie was 9 or 10 years old. They lived in an upscale but not pretentious house in Los Angeles.
Anita and I had met Karras and Clark at a bread making cooking seminar in Southern Oregon. One thing led to another and there I was at their house as a dinner guest. Cannot recall why Anita was not with me. It was just the three Karras’ and I.
Susan is a gourmet cook. The dinner and conversation were as good as it gets. They both are/were very talented multi-faceted people. I was taken by their broad knowledge of so many things. It was a grand evening.
I was reminded of that evening when I read Alex had died yesterday.
I found him to be equally as gentle a human being as he was a powerful one. His football prowess at both the University of Iowa and four times Pro- Bowl selection Detroit Lion are legendary. Alex was one of the toughest defensive tackles ever to strap on shoulder pads.
He was a color commentator for Monday Night Football and a fine actor both on the small and big screens. Probably best known for the television series “Webster” and the film “Blazing Saddles”, for me personally I thought his work in the movie “Against All Odds” starring Jeff Bridges was perhaps his best. Of course some of the film was in Mexico. 
The pithy conversation that night was energetic and fun but there was an incident that changed me ever since.
After the aforementioned incredible dinner Susan was hustling about as women so often do after a dinner party meal. Alex and I with wine glasses headed down to the play room where Katie’s toys were prominent.
As we were talking I noticed a trophy of some sort in amongst the many toys in a box seemingly dedicated to Katie’s toys. There had been a very few trophies and awards upstairs in the adult area. This one caught my eye.
I lifted it from its tangled existence amongst the toys. It was heavy and beautifully plated. I do not remember if there was a tackle in motion atop the richly plated award. But, I remember well the inscription: “Alex Karras – The All Time Greatest Professional Football Defensive Player.”
I knew Karras’ football career. He was one tough hombre. But this, an award denoting him the greatest defensive player of all time, and here I was holding this magnificent trophy pulled from his daughter’s toy box, drinking wine and chatting casually with the guy.
I interrupted whatever subject we were on and said, “I have to ask – this amazing honor bestowed on you! And it is here in amongst Katie’s toys? Confusing.”
Here Alex gets this big grin on his face. He takes a deep swallow of the elegant wine we were drinking; a long pensive pause. “You know I made more money the first year I started in acting than I did in my entire football career. You might imagine how busy a time it was.”
Another sip of wine and a still wider grin. “So the league was trying to get me to show up at this sporting awards dinner in New York. They were after Y.A. and me to attend.” (Y.A.Tittle – Hall of Fame quarterback for the Colts, 49’ers and Giants). “They were pestering me about it.”
He continued, “I finally said, ‘Look if you want us there give Y.A. an award for something like the best offensive player in the history of football and me one for best defensive player and we will show up.’ And that is exactly what they did.” Big laughs here!
Thus the rather meaningless trophy was part of Katie’s toy box; and that moment made me so aware of the commercialism of sports.
“His ability to laugh about the game of football and himself helped build the brand of this sport.” (ESPN quote- Humor was His Strength)
At the time Alex had written a novel titled, “Tuesday Night Football” which was essentially a not so glowing spoof on the Monday Night Football show. He was negotiating the possibility of a film based on the book.
Alex had a great handle on just who he was. He was way too smart to be a bruising tackle. Sadly it appears that his athletic efforts shortened his life. For me the brutality of sports and the damage to fine young bodies is something that has tarnished the excitement of watching sports.
Alex Karras was a stand-up guy. The world is a better place for him having been here. Stay Tuned!
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