Education
Karras played college football at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and attended Argo Community High School in Summit, Illinois.
Karras played college football at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and attended Argo Community High School in Summit, Illinois.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the second round of the 1952 NFL Draft. He was a Consensus All-American in 1951. Karras first enrolled at the University of Illinois as a freshman in 1946 and then spent 18 months in the United States Army.
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.
In 1990, he was named to Illinois" All-Century team Karras 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.