The NFL maintains that it did not intentionally seek to mislead players and says it has taken action to better protect players and advance the science of concussion management and treatment.

"It's an ironic tragedy that Alex had to live with devastating effects from playing the game he loved," Mitnick said.

He said the NFL on Aug. 30 filed a motion to dismiss all the players' actions, and the plaintiffs' response is due Oct. 30.

Mitnick said the family hasn't decided whether to donate Karras' brain for study, as other families have done. The family released a statement listing his other ailments as kidney failure, which recently hospitalized him, stomach cancer and heart disease.

Karras later wrote an autobiography, "Even Big Guys Cry," and two other books, "Alex Karras' and "Tuesday Night Football."

In addition to Clark, his wife of 37 years, he is survived by their daughter and his four children from his first marriage to the late Joan Powell.