2015 Football Roster
Jersey Number 69
Ted Karras
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-4 / 310
- Position:
- OL
- Hometown:
- Indianapolis, Ind.
- High School:
- Cathedral
Career Highlights
- 43 career starts on offensive line
- Two-time All-Big Ten (third team 2015, HM 2014)
- Three-time Academic All-Big Ten (2012, 2014, 2015)
2015 Senior
- All-Big Ten third team by the media
- All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches
- 2015 Team Captain
- Started all 12 games at right guard & made 43 career starts
- One of five offensive linemen to start all 12 games
- Played 88.6% of snaps during the regular season
- Helped the Illini allow just 20 sacks against (1.67 per game)
- Illini Warrior Effort Award winner
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Earned bachelor’s degree in communication in Dec. 2014
2014 Junior
- Honorable mention All-Big Ten
- Started the first nine games of the season and playing 556 snaps at right guard to help Illinois reach the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl
- Suffered a knee injury at Ohio State and missed the last four games of the season
- Academic All-Big Ten
2013 Sophomore
- Played at right guard in every game but the season-opener against SIU, which he missed due to injury
- Started 10 games
- Earned Illinois Point Award as top Offensive Lineman at annual postseason banquet
- The offense improved significantly in every major offensive category thanks in large part to the O-line
- Helped the Illini offense roll up 601 total yards and 289 rushing yards against Miami (Ohio) and 612 yards at Indiana, just the second time in school history an Illini team put up 600 or more yards twice in the same season
2012 Freshman
- Started at right guard in all 12 games
- Helped the Illini to 479 total yards and 365 passing yards in the 44-0 win over Charleston Southern
- Made first career start and played every offensive snap in season-opening win over Western Michigan
- Academic All-Big Ten
2011 Redshirt
- Redshirted the 2011 season
High School
- A three-star recruit by Rivals.com and two-star by Scout.com
- High school coach was Rick Streiff
- All-Midwest Region pick by PrepStar
- Rated one of the Top 25 offensive guard prospects and a three-star recruit by ESPN.com
- Earned Indiana Associated Press Class 4A All-State honors in 2009 and 2010
- Named to the Catholic All-American team
- Indiana Digest Top 15 selection
- Named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association Top 50 All-State team
- Selected No. 15 on Rivals.com's Indiana Top 30 list
- Helped Cathedral to 4A state titles in 2008 and 2010
Personal
- Last name pronounced CARE-us
- Son of Jennifer and Ted Karras
- Born on March 15, 1993
- Seventh member of his family to play football in the Big Ten, including his great-uncle, Alex Karras, who won the Outland Trophy as a defensive tackle at Iowa and was named to the Pro Bowl four times in the NFL with the Detroit Lions before going into acting, including a starring role in the 1980s sitcom "Webster"
- Grandfather, Ted Karras, played defensive tackle at Indiana and five of his nine seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, helping Bears to 1963 World Championship
- Father, Ted Karras Jr. (now the coach at Walsh University), was a defensive tackle at Northwestern and played briefly with the Washington Redskins. He has previoiusly served as head coach at Marion University, Rose-Hulman Institude of Technology and St. Xavier University
- Great-uncle, Paul Karras, played at Iowa; great-uncle, Lou Karras, played at Purdue and three seasons with the Washington Redskins; uncle, Tony Karras, played at Northwestern
- Chose Illinois over Indiana, Iowa State, Wyoming and UCLA among more than 15 offers
- Earned bachelor's degree in communication from Illinois in December 2014 and currently is enrolled in the recreation, sport and tourism master's program
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Thursday, March 05
Illinois Football | Bobby Hauck Introductory Press Conference 2/12/26
Thursday, February 12
Illinois Football | Bret Bielema Press Conference 2/4/26
Thursday, February 05
Illinois Football | Xavier Scott Return Announcement Press Conference Press Conference 1/21/26
Wednesday, January 21
