All the obituaries and the comments highlight his role in Blazing Saddles (and some mention The Paper Lion). The passing of time has erased most public memory of his exploits as one of the most feared defenders in the NFL. He was the Lawrence Taylor of his day, in a time before sacks were attributed to particular players. As a kid in Detroit, I was lucky to see him play, mostly on teams he where was the only player worth watching.
Also, it's interesting that remembrance of his acting career in the sports media seems almost universal in neglecting his role in Victor/Victoria.
All the obituaries and the comments highlight his role in Blazing Saddles (and some mention The Paper Lion). The passing of time has erased most public memory of his exploits as one of the most feared defenders in the NFL. He was the Lawrence Taylor of his day, in a time before sacks were attributed to particular players. As a kid in Detroit, I was lucky to see him play, mostly on teams he where was the only player worth watching.
Also, it's interesting that remembrance of his acting career in the sports media seems almost universal in neglecting his role in Victor/Victoria.
Yeah very sad. Yet another victim of the NFL. Head to Head contact. One of the best. RIP
-------------- "Sure as I know anything, I know this - they will try again...They'll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that. So no more runnin'. I aim to misbehave."
Also, it's interesting that remembrance of his acting career in the sports media seems almost universal in neglecting his role in Victor/Victoria.
re: victor/victoria -- pul-leaze don't tell me both he and robert preston appeared in drag............................... one of the reasons i've totally avoided that movie..........
mongo is no longer a pawn in the game of life. he's in a happier place.
re: victor/victoria -- pul-leaze don't tell me both he and robert preston appeared in drag............................... one of the reasons i've totally avoided that movie..........
Alex Karras is almost exclusively formally dressed. That's really necessary for his role, especially in relation to James Garner.
Over the years, I got to meet him, Dick Butkus and Rosie Greer. Three of the nicest people I've ever met. Watching any of them play, it was hard to believe these were the same people.
I use to spend time sitting with another NFL great who had dementia, Jim Ringo, #51 of the GREEN Bay Packers, considered by many to be the best that ever played center.
He played 11 years at Green Bay, 4 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, 126 consecutive games!!!!!! (remember, he was the center), 10 years selected to the Pro Bowl, selected to the Hall Of Fame. Afterwards he coached at Buffalo with O.J. and the Electric Company.
Even though he was at times confused, his hand/ eye co-ordination was much faster than mine. He talked about playing against A. Karras, D. Buktus and many others. He told me lots of stories about playing with, like Ray Nitschke, Paul Hornung, J. Kramer and all the other Packer greats as well as coach Lombardi. And he had lots of pictures, films, etc.
In addition to the head injuries, he had a busted leg and shoulder. He never complained about his injuries. He truly loved the game.
I can remember watching Monday Night Football with him and John Madden and Al Michaels started talking about all the many greats of the game and the first name Madden mentioned was Jim Ringo.
Jim just sat there on the couch listening to them, then turned towards me and smiled, didn't say a word.
Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
