Ted Karras
CINCINNATI BENGALS
| Position | College | Years in the NFL |
|---|---|---|
| Center | Illinois | 8 |
Demonstrates Excellence on the Field
Bengals center Ted Karras has been a key member of Cincinnati's high-powered offense since joining the team as a free agent during the 2022 offseason. Previously, he spent five of his first six pro seasons with the New England Patriots, helping them win Super Bowl LI and compete in Super Bowl LII.
Through Week 9 of the Bengals 2023 campaign, he started all 24 regular-season games and three postseason contests that he has played in for the team, lining up for 1,819 of a possible 1,826 offensive snaps (99.6 percent).
During the 2022 regular season, he was the central piece of a new-look offensive line that featured four new starters. The line showed drastic improvement as the season progressed, holding opponents to just 14 sacks in the second half of the season compared to 30 in the first eight games. Karras blocked for a Bengals offense that ranked eighth in the NFL in total yards per game (360.5) and fifth in passing yards per game (265.0).
Demonstrates Dedication and Commitment to Community Efforts this Year
Karras, after signing with the Bengals as a free agent during the 2022 offseason, quickly emerged as a visible figure in the Greater Cincinnati area.
In the summer of 2022, he gifted his teammates the "Cincy Hat," a customized hat featuring team colors and Bengal stripes. The hats soon spread across social media with fans asking where they could purchase one. He saw an opportunity to turn this demand into a way to creatively raise funds for his favorite charity.
Since launching TheCincyHat.com in late November 2022, the project has generated over $325,000 with all profits going directly to Village of Merici, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit living community and service provider for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Karras, who grew up in the Indianapolis area, personally matched $100,000 in donations generated to get the initiative started. He collaborated with childhood friend Matt Renie, whose mother founded Village of Merici, to further expand marketing and promotional efforts, and over the past year has launched a website while hosting several hat giveaway events. The hats have become a fan-favorite with over 22,000 sold to date with new designs introduced that feature Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati FC color schemes. They also have unveiled T-shirts, polos, visors, and onesies.
Among Karras' goals is to create jobs for Village of Merici residents that lost previous employment during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past 12 months, Village of Merici has expanded the number of adults they support by 60 percent. The hats have allowed Village of Merici, which in 2020 had acquired a new building for residential units, to break ground on that project. The second building is expected to be completed in 2024 and will host an additional 37 residents, many of whom will be living on their own for the first time.
Ahead of the Indianapolis 500, Karras and Renie launched the Indy Hat. The hats generated over $80,000 in two months with all profits once again going directly to Village of Merici. Also in April was Karras' third annual Monte Carlo night at Village of Merici, a casino-themed fundraiser.
Demonstrates Dedication and Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past
Karras has shown unwavering support for Village of Merici since entering the NFL with the New England Patriots in 2016. In 2014, Village of Merici opened its first location that included 20 apartments with 19 of its residents living on their own for the first time.
Karras has family members living with autism, including his younger cousin Joe, and is well aware of the financial and lifestyle difficulties that arise when someone with developmental disabilities age out of the school system. For nearly a decade, he has invested time and money in a cause he strongly believes benefits an underserved segment of the population.
Known as a champion of the organization, Karras is one of the Village's most generous contributors and makes frequent visits to the Indianapolis-based living community. In his pro career, Karras has hosted numerous fundraising events for Village of Merici, including the aforementioned annual Monte Carlo night and a meet-and- greet following the Patriots' Super Bowl LVIII victory. To date, he has personally donated over $250,000 to the Village.
Demonstrates Consistency in Positive Character and Models a Lifestyle of Giving Back
Karras has earned a reputation for positively impacting team culture while serving as a vocal leader in every locker room he has been in.
The 2023 season marks the third time he has been voted a team captain, after previously holding the honor in 2020 with the Miami Dolphins and in 2022 during his first season with the Bengals.
Karras was lauded by his Bengals teammates for his leadership in 2022, particularly as a member of an offensive line that featured four new starters that were offseason additions. That season, he also received the Bengals' Media Cooperation award, given annually by the Cincinnati Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America to the player that best displays professionalism and respect while working with the media.
Off the field, he is building relationships with local Cincinnati-based organizations like the Ken Anderson Alliance, an organization founded by the Bengals legendary quarterback that has a similar mission to Village of Merici, with the hopes of expanding his impact to the local community and someday building an independent living facility in Cincinnati.
