Alex Karras finally made it the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his terms.
Karras was elected Wednesday to the Hall of Fame as one of 15 members of the Centennial Class. A panel of voters selected 10 senior-era players to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, this summer.
A 1954 Emerson graduate, Karras was the greatest defensive linemen ever from Gary.
A four-time Pro Bowler with the Detroit Lions (1960-62, 1965), Karras was selected by the NFL to the All-Decade team in the 1960s. He died in 2012.
Other members of the Centennial Class are former Bears tackle Jim Covert, former Bears defensive end Ed Sprinkle, former Eagles wide receiver Harold Carmichael, former Packers safety Bobby Dillon, former Cowboys safety Cliff Harris, former Jets tackle Winston Hill, former Steelers safety Donnie Shell, former Chicago Cardinals tackle Duke Slater, former Browns wide receiver Mac Speedie, former Giants GM George Young, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, former NFL Films President Steve Sabol, former Steelers coach Bill Cowher and former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson.
Karras likely would’ve been inducted as soon as he was eligible had he publicly apologized for gambling on NFL games when he played. Karras was suspended for the 1963 season, along with Paul Hornung, for betting.
His nephew, Tony Karras, said Alex Karras told him that Paul Hornung “made restitution to the league. I didn’t.”
Ted Karras Jr., also Alex Karras’ nephew, said he got choked up watching his uncle’s name get called out on television on Wednesday.
He said Alex Karras was one that “never cared for the accolades. He just loved playing football. I think he would’ve been proud. Obviously, this is the biggest one you can get.”
His brother Paul Karras told the Post-Tribune in Alex Karras’ 2012 obituary that the gambling incident had kept him out of the Hall of Fame. Alex Karras refused to apologize.
“He loved to gamble, ” Paul Karras said in a 2012 interview. “That was part of the Greek in him. He always bet on his own team. He never would retract that. He probably should’ve shown some humility, but he didn’t. I think anything he did after that was wrong. I’m sure that kept him out of the Hall of Fame.”
Tony Karras said Alex Karras would’ve appreciated being inducted.
“I think he would’ve been touched,” Tony Karras said. “He didn’t care about awards. He didn’t even pick up his Outland Trophy (which he won in 1957). He played all the time. In all those pictures, his face is bloodied. It was a tough time. He started to appreciate it when he got older.”
Alex Karras’ daughter Carolyn Karras told the Detroit Free Press she was overwhelmed by his induction.
She told the Free Press that “he deserved to go in. It’s just that I never thought that he’d go in. I really didn’t. And I thought, yeah, this year, if he doesn’t do it this year, I don’t think he’s probably going to go.”
Earl Smith, a 1952 Roosevelt graduate who played with Alex Karras for two seasons at Iowa, said it’s about time.
“He deserved to be in a long time ago,” Smith said. “He was a great player and a friend. I don’t know of anyone more deserving than him.”
Billy Gravel, a 1955 Hobart graduate who also played with Alex Karras at Iowa, was happy that he was finally getting his due.
“It’s well deserved,” he said. “He was one of the greatest players I ever played against.”
Alex Karras was a four-time all-state selection at Emerson, where he also played basketball and threw the shot put.
He led Iowa to the Big Ten title in 1956. The Hawkeyes beat Ohio State 6-0 to clinch first place, with Alex Karras ending the game with a sack on the final play.
He won the Outland Trophy, awarded to the best lineman in the country, in 1957, and he finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting.
He was selected by the Lions with the 10th pick in the 1958 NFL draft. The NFL didn’t keep track of sacks when Alex Karras played, but Tony Karras figured he finished with between 100 and 110 sacks.
Alex Karras started 153 straight games for the Lions over a 12-year period. He finished with 17 fumble recoveries, four interceptions and a safety.
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