By Lisa Zimmerman, Player Engagement Insider
When George Karras, a doctor, and his wife, Emmeline, a nurse, were raising their six children in Gary, Indiana in the 1930s and 40s they had no way of knowing they were creating a family football legacy that would continue for decades to come. Sons Lou, Ted and Alex would first forge successful Big 10 careers at Purdue, Indiana and Iowa respectively before moving on to play in the NFL during the late 1950s and 1960s.
Lou was a defensive tackle for the Washington Redskins, Ted played guard for the 1963 Chicago Bears championship team and Alex was a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle with the Detroit Lions.
Fast-forward 50 years to April 30, 2016 when Teddy Karras, was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. Being drafted is always special, but his selection made him a rare entity;
Teddy, a guard out of the University of Illinois is the third generation in his family to play in the NFL.
He is following in the footsteps of not only his grandfather and great uncles, but his father, Ted, Jr., currently the head coach at Walsh University who played defensive tackle for Northwestern and spent a year with Washington.
Teddy knew early on that his family was a little different and he embraced the family business.
[Football] was never forced on me,” Teddy said. “But I always knew I wanted to play and knew I wanted to play in the NFL. I knew early on my family was different. When you first started going to kindergarten no one else’s dad was a football coach and no one else’s grandpa was in the NFL.”
There was also the name recognition that he would frequently run into, especially with football coaches and that added to his motivation to perform well and ultimately earn a scholarship like his predecessors had.
“I didn’t want to be the odd man out,” Teddy said with a laugh.
But the NFL wasn’t a sure thing. Teddy, who had been a four-year starter, a captain of his Illini team and, among other accolades, was an Academic All-Big 10 honoree, was not invited to the NFL Combine. Instead he put all of his energy into honing his skills and showcasing his talents for scouts at his Pro Day. And it worked.
“It was amazing,” Teddy said of hearing his name called on Draft day. “It was a big eruption of joy. It was an honor. I couldn’t believe it at first. It’s a great honor playing for (head coach Bill) Belichick and a blessing to be with this organization. I take heed of everything [Belichick] says. He’s had such a long history of success. It would be not smart of me to not write down and study how he wants things.”
And it is that focus on being smart and taking advantage of knowledge and education that is also a family trait and is the foundation for how the family initially entered into the world of football.
Teddy’s grandmother, Emmeline, was widowed in her 40s when George died suddenly. Her children which also included sons Nick and Paul and daughter Nan, knew that had to find a way to get to college. It was football that provided that road for Lou, Ted and Alex.
Teddy kept the Big 10 tradition alive, graduating from Illinois where he earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree – including achieving a 4.0 grade point average for his Master’s.
It was also about maintaining an overall balance in life, something his father, Ted, Sr., preached as he passed down the family mantle.
“We’ve always put football in perspective,” Ted, Jr. said of his family. “We’re not obsessed with it. My dad sang. He and my uncles performed in plays in high school (Alex ultimately became a professional actor). They all stressed being a well-rounded individual. [My brothers and I] had to take piano lessons from my aunt.”
Then again, this was the Karras family so physical fitness was always front and center. In addition to running his own real estate business, Ted, Sr. became a physical education teacher following his retirement from the NFL and Ted, Jr. imparted the importance of overall fitness on Teddy and his younger sister, Taylor.
Teddy chuckled at the memory. “From the age of three or four years old we had to do pushups, jump rope and sit-ups every day.”
And Grandpa Ted, whom Teddy had a close relationship with and who, like his grandson, played guard, was always involved, watching as Teddy developed as a player and a person. He regaled his grandson with stories from his days with the Chicago Bears, but was equally interested in what Teddy was doing in the present.
“He was great,” Teddy said. “Once I started getting bigger he would always ask me how much how I weighed. I’d say 305 and he’d just gasp. Then he’d ask me if I was healthy and feeling well.”
Sadly, Ted, Sr. passed away in January just prior to his grandson being drafted. But according to Ted, Jr. there’s no doubt what his reaction would have been.
“He’d be proud as heck.”
Lisa Zimmerman is a long-time NFL writer and reporter. She was the Jets correspondent for CBSSports.com, SportsNet New York’s TheJetsBlog.com and Sirius NFL Radio. She has also written for NFL.com.