Following his retirement from the NFL, celebrated athlete Alex Karras went on to become an actor. His first role was in the sports-themed film Paper Lion, in which he played himself. He then starred in a few movies (most notably Blazing Saddles and Babe) and TV shows, playing “tough guy” roles that fit in with his burly athlete appearance. It wasn’t until he became one of the stars of Webster that he was able to show his “softer side,” as little Webster’s adoptive father, George Papadapolis.