

Alex Karras
NFL 1960's All-Decade Team
Detroit Lions Ring of Honor - 2018
Professional Football Hall of Fame - 2020
Alexander George “Alex” Karras
Detroit Lions Player (1958 – 1962, 1964 - 1970)
Alex Karras was born in Gary Indiana and was a standout as a four-time All-State football player for Gary’s Emerson High School. He moved on to the University of Iowa, where he once again was a standout football player twice earning First-team All-American honors and as a senior winning the Outland Trophy and finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting. Karras was the tenth overall player selected in the 1958 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions and spent his entire 12-season career with the team. Once again, he was a standout at the professional level being named to the Pro Bowl four times, was a four-time First-team All-Pro and a five-time Second-team All-Pro, playing in a total of 161 games, while missing only one game. Following his playing career, Karras had a successful run as a television and film actor with many credits to his name and even wrote two books. Alex Karras was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991, the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1977, the Detroit Lions Ring of Honor in 2018, the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2020 and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. He passed away on October 10, 2012 at 77 years of age.