John J. "Argo Express" Karras (January 29, 1928 – November 6, 2008) was an American football halfback who played one season with the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League.[1] He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the second round of the 1952 NFL draft. Karras had previously played college football at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and attended Argo Community High School in Summit, Illinois. He was a Consensus All-American in 1951.[2][3][4]
 Karras, circa 1950 | |
| No. 44 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Halfback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 29, 1928 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died: | November 6, 2008 (aged 80) Hinsdale, Illinois, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Summit (IL) Argo |
| College: | Illinois |
| NFL draft: | 1952 / round: 2 / pick: 16 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
College career
editKarras first enrolled at the University of Illinois as a freshman in 1946 and then spent 18 months in the United States Army holding the rank of private first class. He returned to Illinois in 1949, accumulating seven rushing touchdowns and 826 yards rushing. He led the Illinois Fighting Illini football team in rushing yards in 1950 and 1951. Karras was a Consensus All-American in 1951 after gaining 716 yards rushing and scoring 13 touchdowns. Illinois went 16-3-1 and won the 1952 Rose Bowl against Stanford. In 1990, he was named to Illinois' All-Century team.[5]
Professional career
editKarras was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals with the sixteenth pick in the 1952 NFL Draft. He played in ten games and scored one receiving touchdown in 1952.
References
edit- ^ Jensen, Trevor (November 14, 2008). "John Karras: 1928 - 2008". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ "Johnny Karras". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ "JOHNNY KARRAS". profootballarchives.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ Neil, Herb (October 31, 1951). "Johnny Karras Sparks..." The Michigan Daily. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ "Illini Legend Johnny Karras Passes Away". fightingillini.com. November 7, 2008. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.