Alex Karras        

Alex Karras attended Emerson High School and lived in Gary, Indiana. He was a four-time Indiana all-state selection. He didn't really choose to attend Iowa, but was essentially forced to by coaches at Iowa.

He helped lead the Hawks to a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl victory in the 1956 season. During the 1957 season, Karras was the most dominant lineman in the nation and won the Outland Trophy, and was the runner-up in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. He was also named first team All-Big Ten and first team All-American for the 2nd year in a row. His brother Paul Karras also played for the Hawkeyes in 1956 and 1957.

He was called an "Iron Man", missing only one game due to injury in his 12 NFL seasons with the Lions, and his 161 games played are the 15th most in Lions history. He made the Pro Bowl four times, and the Hall of Fame named him a member of the 1960s All-Decade team.

In 1989, Iowa Hawkeye fans selected him to the all-time Hawkeye team as a defensive lineman. He was elected to the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1977 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991. On October 28, 2018, the Detroit Lions enshrined Karras in the franchise ring of honor along with former Detroit Lions Herman Moore and Roger Brown, and on January 15, 2020, the NFL announced Karras was selected for enshrinement in Canton (Hall of Fame).

In addition to his football career, he was a professional wrestler, sportscaster, and actor (most notably, Victor/Victoria, Blazing Saddles and Webster)

Born 7/15/1935 and died on 10/10/2012 at the age of 77.