O/T: RIP Mongo

[Runscott]

Alex Karras was a funny guy. I didn't realize he was not in the HOF - that's a real shame, as he was one of the dominant defensive players of his era. As a kid you wanted to find a Karras card in your pack. You weren't so interested in some of the other guys who actually got in the Hall. Odd how that works.

I met Alex Karras in 1968 at a celebrity golf tournament in Texas. I was walking all over the place asking people where he was. I finally found two guys joking around with each other and I went up to Karras and asked, "Are you Alex Karras?" He said "No, but this guy is". He let the ruse go right up to the point where the other guy had my pen and paper in hand, about to sign. He engaged me in some conversation I don't remember, but I walked away liking him even more. Dick Butkus, on the other hand, yelled at me to get out of the clubhouse because I was dressed in swim-wear.