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Alex Karras, who was a star defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions in the 1960s and went on to gain other fame for his acting in Hollywood's Blazing Saddles and TV's Webster, has died, according to multiple reports.He was 77 and had been suffering from kidney failure, as People magazine earlier reported. His death has been reported to The Associated Press by Karras' attorney, Craig Mitnick, and to USA Today by the Lions.The Associated Press reminds us that: "Karras became a bit of a celebrity through George Plimpton's behind-the-scenes book about what it was like to be an NFL player...

Alex Karras, the rugged lineman who anchored the Detroit Lions' defense in the 1960s, then went on to an acting career in which he starred in the sitcom Webster and famously punched a horse in the 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles, died Wednesday. He was 77. Karras, who had recently suffered kidney failure, died at home in Los Angeles surrounded by family members, said Craig Mitnick, Karras' attorney. Diagnosed with dementia, Karras in April joined the more than 3,500 former NFL players suing the league for not protecting them better from head injuries, immediately becoming one of the best-known names in...

Alex Karras was recently released from a California hospital after having kidney failure so he could spend his final days with family. ''He may be dying of kidney failure because now his body is catching up to the deterioration of his mind,'' Craig Mitnick, Karras' attorney in a lawsuit against the NFL, told The Associated Press on Tuesday afternoon. The 77-year-old former defensive tackle and actor, who was born and raised in Gary, Ind., has been surrounded by his wife and kids at his home in Los Angeles.

Former Detroit Lions standout and National Football League great, Alex Karras, who later became a TV star, is reportedly near death, following recent kidney failure. The 77-year-old former defensive tackle has been given only a few days to live, the Detroit Free Press reports. Karras was drafted by the Lions 10th overall in 1958, and he played for the team for his entire NFL career. Following his retirement from football in 1970 at the age of 35, Karras took up acting, playing Mongo in the Mel Brooks movie "Blazing Saddles" and lovable dad George Papadapolis on the ABC series "Webster."...

Former Detroit Lions great Alex Karras is in failing health and currently in hospice care. Karras, who played with the Lions from 1958-62 and then again from 1964-70 after sitting out a season for his role in a gambling scandal, is suffering from kidney failure and according to a report published Monday night in the Detroit Free Press, has been given a short amount of time to live. Lions team president Tom Lewand issued the following statement Monday night: "The entire Detroit Lions family is deeply saddened to learn of the news regarding the condition of one of our all-time...

DETROIT — Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand says the franchise is deeply saddened to learn of Alex Karras' condition. The Detroit Free Press and Detroit News reported Monday that the former All-Pro defensive lineman and actor has kidney failure and has been given only a few days to live.