Alex Karras Alexander George " Alex " Karras ( July 15 , 1935 – October 10 , 2012 ) , nicknamed " The Mad Duck " , was an American football player , professional wrestler , and actor . He played football with the Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1958 – 1962 and 1964 – 1970 . As an actor , Karras is noted for his role as Mongo in the 1974 comedy film " Blazing Saddles " , and for starring in the ABC sitcom " Webster " ( 1983 – 89 ) alongside his wife Susan Clark , as the title character ' s adoptive father . College career . Karras was the son of Dr . George Karras , a Greek immigrant ( from Chios ) who graduated from the University of Chicago and got his medical degree in Canada . There , George Karras met and married a Canadian woman , Alex ' s mother , Emmeline ( née Wilson ) . George Karras opened a medical practice in Gary , Indiana , but he died when Alex was thirteen years old . By that time , Alex Karras had learned to play football in a parking lot near his home , and he blossomed into a four - time Indiana all - state selection at Gary Emerson High School . His older brothers , Lou ( a future member of the Redskins ) and Ted ( who later played with the Bears and Lions ) , had played at Purdue but later Ted transferred to Indiana . Because of this , Alex said , " Indiana had the inside track " on recruiting him , but shortly after he graduated from high school , several coaches from the University of Iowa took Karras to secluded Spencer , Iowa , to keep him away from rival recruiters . There they persuaded him to sign with the Hawkeyes . Karras struggled his first few years at Iowa , with classwork , homesickness and with his coach , Forest Evashevski . He was a pledge at Sigma Nu fraternity during his first year in school . Alex probably would have left Iowa had he not befriended a Greek theater owner , as well as fellow players Cal Jones and Bob Commings . Karras ' sophomore year with Iowa in 1955 got off to a rocky start when he showed up for practice twenty pounds overweight . Karras was also hampered that season by a cracked ankle bone . After being disappointed at not getting to play in the season finale , Karras threw a shoe at Evashevski and quit the team . Karras did not earn a football letter for the 1955 season . Karras went to summer classes and later rejoined the football team , but a strained relationship resurfaced . Evashevski promised to start Alex Karras in the 1956 season opener against Indiana , when Alex would square off against his brother , Ted . But Evy played Karras off the bench instead , and Karras quit the team again . This time , he agreed to rejoin the team only after making Evashevski promise he would not talk to Karras other than in a purely coaching capacity . ( Evashevski always denied any special agreement with Karras . ) Iowa took the lead in the 1956 Big Ten title race with a 7 - 0 victory over Minnesota . The Hawkeyes then clinched the Big Ten title and Iowa ' s first ever Rose Bowl berth by defeating Ohio State , 6 - 0 . Karras sealed the game with a quarterback sack on the game ' s final play . Iowa ' s final regular season game in 1956 was against Notre Dame , which Iowa won , 48 - 8 . Karras called it his biggest college win , saying , " The Karrases have always had a rivalry with Notre Dame . The school was just 60 miles down the road from our home and we wanted to beat ' em at anything . " However , after the game , Karras got into a physical battle with Evashevski . Karras did not enjoy his trip to the Rose Bowl , either . " Pasadena was the most boring town I ’ ve ever been in , " said Karras . Karras helped the Hawkeyes win the 1957 Rose Bowl over Oregon State , 35 - 19 . He was a first team All - America n in 1956 . Karras spent the summer of 1957 with an American track team of Greek descent . He participated in the shot put , throwing a respectable 52 feet . In his senior season , Alex Karras was the most dominant lineman in the nation , winning the 1957 Outland Trophy . He also was the runner - up in the voting for the Heisman Trophy . Karras and Ohio State tackle John Hicks ( in 1973 ) are two of only three linemen ever finishing so high in the Heisman Trophy voting . In 1949 , Leon Hart , a Notre Dame end became the only lineman ever to win the Heisman Trophy . In addition , Karras was a consensus first team All - American in 1957 . Hawkeye teammate Randy Duncan said , NFL player . Karras was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions in 1958 . He quickly became one of the dominant defensive tackle s in the NFL , playing for 12 seasons ( 1958 - 1962 , 1964 - 1970 ) with the same team , but missing the 1963 season for gambling activities . From 1960 to 1966 , except for 1963 , he played next to Roger Brown , a formidable pair of defensive tackles , until the latter was traded to the Los Angeles Rams . From 1958 to 1970 , the Lions were over . 500 six of the 13 years , making the playoffs only once , 1970 , with a 10 - 4 win - loss record , Karras ' final year . Aside from 1970 , their best years were 1962 ( 11 - 3 ) and 1969 ( 9 - 4 - 1 ) . In 1962 , the Lion defense allowed 177 points ( 12 . 6 points / game ) , in 1969 188 points ( 13 . 4 points / game ) , and in 1970 202 points ( 14 . 4 points / game ) , for all three years the second - least in the NFL , thanks in large part to a tough and rugged defensive line led by Karras . Despite not allowing a touchdown in the divisional round of the 1970 - 71 NFL playoffs , the Lions lost to the Dallas Cowboys 5 - 0 , his first playoff game and his final game . Karras was called an " iron man " since he missed only one game due to injury in his 12 NFL seasons and his 161 games played are the 15th most in Lions history . He made the Pro Bowl four times , and the Hall of Fame named him a member of the 1960s All - Decade team . NFL controversies and professional wrestling . Before his NFL career got under way , Karras signed a contract as a professional wrestler on December 13 , 1957 , earning $ 25 , 000 during the six - month off - season . Eight days later , he officially signed with the Lions , spurning an offer from the Canadian Football League ' s Winnipeg Blue Bombers . On January 7 , 1963 , Karras ' s ownership in Detroit ' s Lindell AC Bar became a source of controversy when league officials urged him to sell his financial interests in the place because of reports of gambling and organized crime influence . After first threatening to retire rather than give it up , Karras admitted placing bets on NFL games and was suspended by the league , along with Green Bay Packers ' running back Paul Hornung , for one season ( 1963 ) . During his exile , Karras returned to pro wrestling , taking on such memorable characters as Dick the Bruiser , but was then reinstated , along with Hornung , on March 16 , 1964 by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle . Upon returning to action in 1964 , Karras once refused when an official asked him to call the pregame coin toss . " I ' m sorry , sir , " Karras replied . " I ' m not permitted to gamble . " During his first year back , player discontent with head coach George Wilson resulted in Karras asking to be traded . However , the Lions settled the issue when they fired Wilson after the 1964 NFL season . After another season of controversy under new head coach Harry Gilmer , Karras was rumored to be ready to play out his option and sign with the expansion Miami Dolphins of the American Football League under his former coach Wilson . Instead , Karras signed a seven - year contract with the Lions on May 20 , 1966 , with Wilson stating that Karras had used the threat of signing with Miami to garner the large deal with Detroit . Despite the new contract , controversy remained , as Karras and Gilmer sparred in midseason , with the coach reportedly ready to release the veteran defensive tackle . As before , it would be the coach who would depart , with Karras ' s former teammate Joe Schmidt taking over . On June 4 , 1967 , Karras once again hinted he would retire to work at a new business venture ; once training camp began , though , Karras was back with the Lions . During that preseason , he jokingly commented that he would walk back from Denver if the AFL Broncos defeated the Lions . When that actually happened , Karras backtracked and flew home on the team plane . He was still an All - Pro selection in 1967 to 1969 , but after sustaining a knee injury late in the 1970 season , reported to training camp in 1971 with his job in jeopardy . After unimpressive performances in the 1971 preseason , Karras was released , ending his playing career at age 35 . Film and television . In 1968 , he made his film debut playing himself in the film adaptation of George Plimpton ' s nonfiction sports book " Paper Lion " . Following his release by the Lions in 1971 - his appearances on " The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson " and a bit part in " The Mary Tyler Moore " show , the farewell party scene where Rhoda moves back to New York ( 1972 ) - he began acting on a full - time basis , playing a Tennessee boy turned Olympic weightlifter named Hugh Ray Feather in 1973 ' s " The 500 - Pound Jerk " . He played a hulking villain who menaced Clint Walker in the ABC TV film " Hardcase " . A minor but memorable role came one year later in the western parody " Blazing Saddles " ( 1974 ) : the very strong and slow - witted thug Mongo , who rode into town on a huge brahman ( marked with " yes " and " no " passing signals ) , knocked out a horse with one punch , and famously responded to a question from Sheriff Bart with , " Don ' t know . . . " ( looking straight into the camera ) " . . . Mongo only pawn in game of life . " That same year , he was quickly brought in by ABC to replace Fred Williamson as a commentator for the network ' s " Monday Night Football " . He served three years in that role until leaving after the 1976 NFL season , with his most memorable comment coming in his first game , when he joked that bald Oakland Raiders ' lineman Otis Sistrunk , who never attended college , was from " the University of Mars " . In 1972 , Karras hosted a local weekly football program for Windsor , Ontario CBC affiliate CKLW - TV , " The Alex Karras Football Show " ; his program generally preceded the CBC ' s Wednesday night CFL telecasts . Karras returned to acting with roles that included playing Sheriff Wallace in " Porky ' s " ( in which his wife , Susan Clark , also starred ) , and as western settler Hans Brumbaugh in " Centennial " . He played James Garner ' s closeted gay bodyguard in the 1982 Blake Edwards ' film " Victor Victoria " . Karras played a darker role as Hank Sully , the right - hand - man of villain Jake Wise ( played by James Woods ) in the 1984 film , " Against All Odds " . His television appearances included guest roles on " M * A * S * H " in the episode " Springtime " , " The Odd Couple " and a brief run on " Match Game ' 75 " . He also signed on to play the character " Super Jock " in commercials for a line of sports action toys by that name , produced by Schaper ( 1975 ) . In 1977 he was cast in the lead of the TV movie " Mad Bull " . In 1979 he had the role of Hans " Potato " Brumbaugh , a potato farmer , on the TV miniseries " Centennial " . He was known for his humorous endorsement of La - Z - Boy recliner s , in an ad campaign which also featured NFL greats such as Miami Dolphins Coach Don Shula , and New York Jets legend Joe Namath . In the 1980s , Karras had memorable success in the TV sitcom " Webster " , playing George Papadapolis , the title character ' s adoptive father , in a role that showcased his softer side . His real - life wife , Susan Clark , played his fictional wife in the series ; Karras and Clark produced the series through their Georgian Bay Entertainment production company . The two met in 1975 while filming the made - for - television biopic " Babe " for CBS . Writing . Besides being one of the subjects of George Plimpton ' s nonfiction book " Paper Lion " ( published in 1966 ) , he was one of the two principal subjects of Plimpton ' s follow - up book , " Mad Ducks and Bears " ( 1973 ) ( fellow Detroit Lion John Gordy was the " bear " to Karras ' s " mad duck . " ) Karras named one of his sons after Plimpton . During his last years as a Detroit Lion , Karras wrote a journal of his experiences that was published in the " Detroit Free Press " . He subsequently wrote a memoir , " Even Big Guys Cry " ( 1978 ) , and a novel , " Tuesday Night Football " ( 1991 ) . Honors . In conjunction with the 100 Years of Hawkeye Football celebration in 1989 , Iowa Hawkeye fans selected an all - time team . The squad featured 11 players on offense and defense , two kickers , and 15 special - mention players who received strong fan support . Alex Karras was voted to the team as a defensive lineman . Karras was elected to the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1977 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991 . Later activities . Karras also worked briefly as a football coach in 2007 and 2008 . He worked for the SIL as an assistant coach to Bob Lombardi . He owned an ice cream parlor in Surfside Beach , South Carolina called The Cow . Personal life . Karras was married twice . He married Joan Jurgensen in 1958 , with whom he had five children . The marriage ended in divorce in 1975 . He married actress Susan Clark on March 21 , 1980 , and they had a daughter together . Illness and death . In his later years , Karras suffered several serious health problems , including dementia , heart disease , and cancer . Karras was among 3 , 500 former NFL players to have filed lawsuits against the NFL in early 2012 , over the long - term damage caused by concussions and repeated hits to the head . On October 8 , 2012 , it was revealed by friend Tom McInerney that Karras had suffered from kidney failure ; doctors gave him a few days to live . Karras was treated at the Saint John ' s Health Center in Santa Monica , California , before being released into hospice care . After returning to his Los Angeles home with family , Karras died in the morning hours of October 10 from complications caused by kidney failure .