NFL LEGEND ALEX KARRAS CAUSES OF DEATH, NET WORTH, CAREER, EARLY LIFE, WIFE & MUCH MORE REVEALED

#nfl #alexkarras #networth
After graduating from high school in 1954, Karras was visited by three coaches from the Iowa Hawkeyes football program and was flown to Spencer, Iowa without the knowledge of his family. He ended up going to the University of Iowa, where he played for the Hawkeyes from 1954 to 1957. Karras struggled early on with classwork, homesickness, and his coach Forest Evashevski. In his sophomore year, he got into trouble for showing up to camp 40 pounds overweight, and after not being able to play in the season finale, for throwing a shoe at his coach and quitting the team. After losing his excess weight, Karras rejoined the football team in 1956. That season, Iowa won the Big Ten title and its first-ever Rose Bowl. Karras finished his collegiate career on a high note in 1957 as the most dominant lineman in the country. A consensus first-team All-American, he also won the Outland Trophy and was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.

Detroit Lions
Before joining the NFL, Karras was a professional wrestler for six months. He was subsequently drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 1958 NFL draft. Karras would play for the Lions for 12 seasons between 1958 and 1970, during which time he was one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the league. The only season he didn't play in was the 1963 season, as he was suspended by the NFL for placing bets on NFL games while owning a Detroit bar that allegedly hosted gambling and organized crime. During his exile, Karras made a return to professional wrestling. After being reinstated by the NFL in 1964, he butted heads with new Lions coach Harry Gilmer, who reportedly threatened to release him. However, Gilmer ended up being the one leaving. During his time with the Lions, Karras earned four Pro Bowl selections: in 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1965. He was also a first-team All-Pro selection in 1960, 1961, and 1965. The Lions had their best years during the decade in 1962 and 1969, going 11-3 in the former and 9-4-1 in the latter. However, the team's only playoff appearance during Karras's tenure was in 1970, which was Karras's final year; the Lions ultimately fell to the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round. Following the 1971 preseason, while he was still recovering from a knee injury suffered the previous year, Karras was released by the team. He finished his career with the Lions having played 161 games over 12 seasons.