Alan Page

For more information on Alan Cedric Page, visit Britannica.com.

state supreme court justice; football player

Personal Information

Born Alan Cedric Page, August 7, 1945, in Canton, OH; son of Howard Felix and Georgianna (Umbles) Page; married second wife, Diane Sims, June 5, 1973; children: (first marriage) Nina, Georgi; (second marriage) Justin, Kamie.
Education: University of Notre Dame, B.A., 1966; University of Minnesota, J.D., 1978.
Memberships: American, National, and Minnesota State Bar Associations; Minnesota Minority Lawyers Association.

Career

Professional football player, 1967-82; member of Minnesota Vikings football team, 1967-78; member of Chicago Bears football team, 1978-82. Lindquist & Vennum (law firm), Minnesota, attorney, early 1980s; Office of the Attorney General of Minnesota, attorney, 1985-92; State Supreme Court of Minnesota, associate justice, 1993--. Founder of Page Education Foundation, a nonprofit scholarship program for minority students.

Life's Work

Even at the height of a professional football career that would someday merit his inclusion in the Hall of Fame, Alan Page knew he had to plan for the rest of his life. The former defensive lineman--a member of the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears--earned a law degree while still an active player so that, after retiring from the game, he could move directly into a full-time career as an attorney.

In 1993 Page became an associate justice on the Minnesota State Supreme Court, making him the first African American elected to office in that state. Page is also the first person of color to sit on the high court in Minnesota. In a special notation in Sports Illustrated, a reporter called the enterprising Page "a symbol of the best the world of sports can produce--a leader whose efforts and example have worthy impact beyond the athletic arena."

As a Minnesota Viking, Page was a member of the dreaded "Purple People Eaters," one of the most admired defensive foursomes in the history of football. He saw action in four Super Bowls and nine Pro Bowls, and his playing career spanned 15 years. At his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988, however, he underplayed his exploits on the football field and called for young people to concentrate on earning a solid education and preparing realistically for the future. Page's remarks, as quoted in the Chicago Tribune, included a strongly-worded opinion that high achievers outside the field of sports should win equal recognition with the nation's pro athletes. Page concluded: "Football was very good to me. We shouldn't put down athletics, because that teaches children the value of teamwork and disciplined effort. But we are doing no favor to the young men of Los Angeles and Miami and Chicago if we let them believe a game will set them free."

Few people have less to say about themselves than Alan Page. He prefers to dwell upon issues of the moment rather than reminisce about his football career or his childhood. His wife, Diane, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that Page deals with his past by ignoring it. Trophies, plaques, and citations dating all the way back to his high school days have been stuffed in what Diane Page called a "denial box" kept in a closet.

Alan Page was born and raised in Canton, Ohio. With his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame--located in Canton--he became the first hometown member of that prestigious museum. In fact, at his induction, Page recalled that he had "pushed a broom" on the Hall of Fame construction site as a teenager, never dreaming that a few decades later he, too, would be represented within its walls. Page grew up in a middle-class family and was educated in Catholic schools. It seemed only natural after his 1962 graduation from Central Catholic High in Canton that he would attend the University of Notre Dame at South Bend, Indiana.

As a child Page had dreamed of becoming a lawyer, and at Notre Dame he began to lay the groundwork for that goal. He was an All-American athlete as a defender on the Fighting Irish football team, but he paid strict attention to his academic regime as well. In 1966 he graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science and a reputation as a hard-hitting tackle.

Page was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1967 AFL-NFL draft. He became a Vikings starter immediately, appearing in 14 games and recovering three fumbles in his rookie year. Just three seasons later Page had become a stalwart member of the Vikings' front four on the defensive line. As the team's fortunes soared, Page and his defensive cohorts--among them Carl Eller, Gary Larsen, and Jim Marshall--became known as the "Purple People Eaters." The nickname paid homage to the line's ability to stifle opponents' offense on the pass and especially on the run. In one of Page's best years, 1970, he recovered seven fumbles (one for a touchdown) and intercepted a pass for a 27-yard gain. By that time the Vikings were a team of note in the National Football Conference.

Minnesota appeared in four Super Bowls between 1970 and 1977. Page played in every one. The Vikings' distinction was dubious, however. Despite being heavily favored in at least two of the four Super Bowl outings, they were unable to win any of them. In Super Bowl IV, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Vikings 23-7. In Super Bowl VIII, played in January of 1974, Minnesota lost to the Miami Dolphins, 24-7. The following year the Vikings lost again, 16-6, to a neophyte team from Pittsburgh led by Terry Bradshaw. Perhaps most disappointing was the Vikings' showing in 1977, when they lost Super Bowl XI, 32-14, to the Oakland Raiders. But the Super Bowl losses did little to dim the luster of the "Purple People Eaters," who were widely regarded as one of the best defensive lines ever assembled and certainly among the very best of the 1970s.

Page told the Detroit Free Press that his fame as a football player notwithstanding, he "got bored" with football's routine. He also recognized that when he eventually retired from the game, he would still be a relatively young man. Page had begun law school in 1967 but dropped out when he joined the Vikings. In 1975 he enrolled at the University of Minnesota Law School and began again. He took courses in the off-season and during football season, often leaving school just in time for team practice. The schedule was hectic but rewarding. By 1978 he had completed his degree requirements.

Page failed his first attempt to pass the Minnesota bar examination. This proved a greater disappointment than any of his Super Bowl losses had been. As he recalled it in the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "I recognized that if I didn't pass the [bar] exam, I didn't practice law. Plus, it would be more of the dumb jock syndrome." Taking a more proven path to success, Page joined a study group and passed the bar examination on his second try in 1979. He was still on the active roster of the NFL at the time, having been released by the Vikings in 1978 and signed by the Chicago Bears. In fact, one of Page's best years as a football player came in 1980 for Chicago, when he appeared in 16 games, recovered two fumbles--one for a touchdown--and earned a safety.

At the end of the 1981-82 football season, Page announced his retirement. He finished his career with 173 sacks, 23 fumble recoveries, and three touchdowns--statistics that merited a speedy 1988 Hall of Fame induction. Other retired football players open restaurants or car dealerships; Page joined a St. Paul law firm, Lindquist & Vennum. Founding partner Leonard Lindquist told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that during his years with the firm, Page was a "diligent worker" who prepared his cases with care. "I respected his judgment," Lindquist said. "He was willing to reason things out. He was calm under fire. And he was intelligent, honest and highly principled."

In 1985 Page moved from private practice into the Minnesota Attorney General's Office. There he specialized in employment discrimination, workers' compensation statutes, and regulations governing drug testing in the workplace. Some of the cases he supervised were eventually heard by the Minnesota Court of Appeals and the state supreme court. In ten appearances before these higher benches, Page won all ten suits. "I have to tell you, I think I'm a damn good lawyer," Page told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I don't talk about myself very well. But the bottom line really is that I'm a pretty good lawyer."

As early as 1982 Page had lobbied for an appointment for a judgeship. A seat on a district court seemed likely, but the governor of Minnesota was dissuaded from selecting Page by some of the state's black citizens, who felt the former football great had not shown enough activism on race issues. One detractor, Minneapolis activist Ron Edwards, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "[Page] has never done anything to offend the racial and ethnic majority.... Has Alan walked on these streets? Has he sat down with a group of gang members and said, 'How have we failed you?"'

In his own defense, Page pointed out that he had founded the Page Education Foundation, a national organization that provides leadership programs, scholarship aid, and academic motivation for minority children. Recipients of Page Foundation aid are expected to spend time in their home neighborhoods counseling other students. Page has said that he hopes the program will have a pyramid effect: each participant will counsel ten other children, who will in time each counsel ten more. "Young people face a difficult future because adults have not had the will to address the problems that kids face," Page told the Sporting News. "Kids have to understand that if they're going to be successful--and they can be successful-- that they have to prepare, work and learn. Kids who learn how to learn will be successful."

Page himself was not successful in drawing a judicial appointment in Minnesota. By 1990 he had decided to pursue a place on the bench by public vote. While Minnesota law mandated that its supreme court justices should be elected by general ballot, in practice a number of the seats were filled by appointments--and the few that required an election were invariably won by incumbents. In 1990 Page filed to run for the seat of Glenn Kelley, who was retiring. That chance was lost when Minnesota governor Rudy Perpich appointed a replacement for Kelley. Then Page planned to run for the seat of Justice Lawrence Yetka, who would be forced by state law to retire during his term. Yetka obtained an extension of his term from Governor Arne H. Carlson. At that point Page sued, claiming that the governor's interference on Yetka's behalf was unconstitutional. Page won the court case, Yetka announced plans to step down, and a regular election for the seat was held in 1992.

The election was heated, with Page's opponent suggesting that the former athlete was trying to trade on his local popularity. Nevertheless, Page won the seat on the high court by a substantial margin, becoming the first African American ever elected to office in Minnesota. "It was a championship effort for the former Vikings great, and the people of Minnesota will share the benefits of his victory," wrote an editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "If minority youths wonder whether hard work, community spirit and the nerve to try can actually pay off in this society, Mr. Page has delivered the answer."

Page, a twice-married father of four, has said that his future plans include teaching, perhaps in a law school. In the meantime, he is aware of his position as a pioneer in Minnesota politics and as an example to others--even top- drawer athletes--who aspire to high achievement. During his induction onto the Minnesota Supreme Court, Page told the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "The people of Minnesota have chosen to elect a person of color. That sends a strong message to young people, particularly young people of color, that if you work hard, prepare well, and you are willing to accept life's challenges, you can be successful."

Awards

Elected to Pro Bowl, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977; named to the Sporting News NFC All-Star Team, 1970-76; named NFL's Most Valuable Player, 1971; elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1988; Friend of Education Award, National Education Association, 1991; elected to College Football Hall of Fame, 1993.

Further Reading

Sources

• Chicago Tribune, July 31, 1988, p. 5-D.
• Detroit Free Press, October 3, 1990, p. 2-C.
• Emerge, March 1993, p. 54.
• Parade magazine, May 15, 1994, p.12.
• St. Paul Pioneer Press, July 16, 1992, p. 2-B; August 8, 1992, p. 1-A; September 16, 1992, p. 6-A; October 10, 1992, p. 1-A; October 25, 1992, p. 1-B; November 4, 1992, p. 12-A; November 6, 1992, p. 14-A; January 5, 1993, p. 1-A.
• Sporting News, December 7, 1992, p. 7.
• Sports Illustrated, May 18, 1992, p. 58; September 28, 1992, p. 69.

— Mark Kram

The Honorable Alan C. Page
Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 1993
Preceded by	Lawrence R. Yetka
Born	August 7, 1945 (1945-08-07) (age 64) Canton, Ohio
Spouse(s)	Diane Sims Page
Children	Nina, Georgi, Justin and Kamie.
Alma mater	Notre Dame University of Minnesota
Profession	Professional Football Player Attorney

Alan Page

No. 88
Defensive Tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: August 7, 1945 (1945-08-07) (age 64)
Place of birth: Canton, Ohio
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	Weight: 245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
College: Notre Dame
NFL Draft: 1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15
Debuted in 1967 for the Minnesota Vikings
Last played in 1981 for the Chicago Bears
Career history
As player: Minnesota Vikings (1967-1978) Chicago Bears (1978-1981)
Career highlights and awards
9× Pro Bowl selection (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) 6× First-team All-Pro selection (1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975) 3× Second-team All-Pro selection (1968, 1972, 1976) 11× First-team All-Conference selection (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980) NFL 1970s All-Decade Team 1970 NFC Defensive Player of the Year 1971 NFL MVP 1971 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1971 UPI NFC Player of the Year 1971 NFC Defensive Player of the Year 1973 NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year Minnesota Vikings #88 Retired
Stats at NFL.com
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Alan Cedric Page (born August 7, 1945 in Canton, Ohio) is a jurist and former professional American football player. He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978. Justice Page is particularly notable for the fact that he is both a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and an Associate Justice with the Minnesota Supreme Court. Justice Page is married to Diane Sims Page and is the father of four children, Nina, Georgi, Justin and Kamie.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 High school 1.2 College 1.3 NFL 1.4 Legal career 1.5 Community 2 Honorary degrees 3 Post NFL awards 4 Professional organizations 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links

Biography

High school

Paige attended and graduated from Central Catholic High School, Canton, OH, 1964. He starred in several sports, and excelled in football.

College

Following high school, Page attended the University of Notre Dame, where he led the school’s storied football program to a national championship in 1966. That same year, Page was named a college football All-American for his achievements on the field.

He was presented with one of the 1992 Silver Anniversary Awards (NCAA) for achieving personal distinction since his graduation. In 2005 he was awarded the National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award. In between he was inducted into College Football Hall of Fame (1993).

In 1967, he participated in the East-West Shrine Game and 25 years later received the "Babe Hollingbery" Award for his outstanding and lasting performance as he was inducted to that game's Hall of Fame. Named to the Academic All-American Hall of Fame in 2001 and as such received the Dick Enberg Award. Also a winner of the Walter Camp Alumni of the Year in 1988.[1]. In 2002, he was inducted into International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame. 2004 winner of the Theodore Roosevelt Award (NCAA) which is awarded to a graduates from an NCAA institution who earned a varsity letter for athletics and who ultimately became a distinguished citizen of national reputation.

NFL

Following his graduation from Notre Dame, Page was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, for whom he played from 1967 until 1978. In 1978, Page joined the Chicago Bears, with whom he played through the 1981 season and where he amassed 40 of his career sacks.

During Page’s 15-year NFL-tenure, the Vikings won an impressive four conference titles. Page played in 218 consecutive games without an absence, during which he recovered 22 fumbles, made 178½ sacks (Vikings-138½, Bears-40), and scored three touchdowns (two on fumble recoveries and one on an interception return). He also had three safeties, the second most in NFL history. He set a career-high in sacks with 18 in 1976 and is unofficially credited with 5 other seasons with 10 sacks or more. ^{[1] [2]}

While in the NFL, Page earned All-Pro honors six times and made second-team all-league three additional times. He was voted to nine consecutive Pro Bowls. Eleven times he was voted All-Conference, in 1968 and 1969 as All-Western Conference and 1970 through 77 and 1980 as an All-National Football Conference.

In 1971, Page was named both the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year (the first player to be named such) and the AP’s NFL Most Valuable Player. Page was the first defensive player to be named MVP since the award’s inception. In addition, he was voted the NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1973.

Page was National Football League Players Association player representative, 1970-1974, 1976-1977 and a member of the NFLPA Association Executive Committee, 1972-1975. Named to the Vikings' 40th Anniversary Team in 2000. Along the way Page was named the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Week three times: Week 9, 1967; Week 8, 1968; Week 13, 1971. Page was a member of the Vikings famous "Purple People Eaters"

After his playing career he dabbled in the media, first as a color commentator on Turner Broadcasting System covering the College Football Game of the Week series during the Fall of 1982 and then became a commentator on National Public Radio from 1982-1983.

In 1988, Page was further honored by his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was ranked number 34 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking Viking player. Received the NFL Alumni Career Achievement Award in 1995 for attaining success in his post-NFL career.

Legal career

Long before Page’s football career came to a close, he was laying the groundwork for his future role as a justice with the Minnesota Supreme Court. While playing professional football full-time, Page attended the University of Minnesota Law School, from which he received his Juris Doctor in 1978. Following graduation, he worked with the law firm of Lindquist and Vennum in Minneapolis from 1979 to 1984. In 1985, Page was appointed Special Assistant Attorney General, and was soon thereafter promoted to Assistant Attorney General.

In 1992, Page was elected to an open seat as an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, becoming the first African-American to ever serve on that court. He was re-elected in 1998, becoming the biggest vote-getter in Minnesota history, and was again re-elected in 2004. If Page chooses to run for re-election in 2010 and wins, it will necessarily be his last term, as Minnesota has mandatory retirement for judges at age 70.

On January 7, 2009, Page was appointed by Chief Justice Eric Magnuson to select the three-judge panel which heard the election contest brought by Norm Coleman. Coleman contested the U.S. Senate election certified on the previous day.^[3]

Community

In 1988, Page and his wife Diane founded the Page Education Foundation. That Foundation provides much-needed financial and mentoring assistance to minority college students, in exchange for those students’ commitment to further volunteer service in the community. As of today, the Page Foundation has awarded grants to 3,320 students, who in turn have given over 220,000 hours of their own time to young children. Upon his retirement from the bench, Justice Page hopes to become a public school teacher, so that he might make an even more personal impact on the children the Foundation has served for the past 20 years.

Justice Page’s contributions to the community have not gone unnoticed, and he has been the recipient of a number of awards recognizing the impact he has made on the lives of children throughout the nation. He has also received Honorary Doctorates in Humane Letters from the University of Notre Dame, Winston-Salem State University, and Gustavus Adolphus College, as well as Honorary Doctorates of Laws from the University of Notre Dame, St. John’s University, Westfield State College, Luther College, and the University of New Haven.

On a more personal note, Justice Page has a passion for running and runs on a regular basis. Notably, in 1979, Page became the first active NFL player to complete a marathon. His running routine, which he took up while helping his wife quit smoking, is believed to have contributed to his dismissal from the Minnesota Vikings. His running schedule of 35-40 miles per week during the season, and 55 miles per week in the offseason, caused his weight to drop below that dictated by the Vikings.^[4] In 1987, he completed the Edmund Fitzgerald 100k Road Race in Duluth, Minnesota. He is a regular spectator at the Twin Cities Marathon, famous for playing the tuba near mile 3.

Honorary degrees

Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters: University of Notre Dame, 2004; Winston-Salem State University, 2000; Gustavus Adolphus College, 2003.

Honorary Doctorate of Laws: University of Notre Dame, 1993; St. John's University, 1994; Westfield State College, 1994; Luther College, 1995; University of New Haven, 1999.

Post NFL awards

2007—The Bronko Nagurski Legends Award by Charlotte Touchdown Club. 2007—Council on Crime and Justice "Equal Justice Award" 2007—University of Minnesota African American "Read-In Program Award" 2007—Included in Minnesota’s Legal Hall of Fame, Minnesota Law & Politics. 2007—Trumpet Awards Foundation Honoree [2] 2006—Receive the St. Paul Urban League "Willie Mae Wilson Lifetime Achievement Award" 2006—Minnesota MILE (Motivating & Inspiring Leadership and Excellence) "Extra Mile Award" 2005—National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award. 2004—Theodore Roosevelt Award (NCAA) 2003—Scholarship America President’s Award 2002—Inducted into International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame 2001—Minnesota Business Partnership “Connecting With Youth Lifetime Achievement Award” 2001—Academic All-American Hall of Fame, 2001 Dick Enberg Award 2001—University of Minnesota Distinguished Alumni Award 1999—Sports Illustrated's "The 50 Greatest Sports Figures from Ohio" 1999—Star Tribune's "100 Influential Minnesotans of the Century" 1999—Star Tribune's "100 Most Important Sports Figures of the Century"

1995—NFL Alumni Career Achievement Award. 1994—Aetna Voice of Conscience Arthur Ashe Jr. Achiever Award 1993—WCCO Radio Distinguished Good Neighbor Award 1993—Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame 1993—East-West Game “Babe Hollingbery” Award 1992—Silver Anniversary Awards (NCAA) 1992—U.S. Sports Academy Theodore Roosevelt Meritorious Service Award 1992—Notre Dame Alumni "Reverend Edward Frederick Sorin, C.S.C." Award 1991—Inducted into Chicago's Inner City Sports Hall of Fame 1991—National Education Association "Friend of Education" Award 1990—Inducted into the Nike Walk of Fame 1989—Dedicated “Alan Page Drive” in Canton, Ohio 1988—Walter Camp Alumni of the Year Award 1988—Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio 1981—Selected by U.S. Jaycees as one of America's Ten Outstanding Young Men.

Professional organizations

• Member, American Law Institute, 1993-present
• Member, Minnesota State Bar Association, 1979-1985, 1990-present
• Member, Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers, 1980-present
• Member, National Bar Association, 1979-present
• Member, American Bar Association, 1979-present
• Member, Advisory Board, Mixed Blood Theater, 1984-present
• Founder, Page Education Foundation, 1988. Assists minority youth with post-secondary education.
• Member, Board of Regents, University of Minnesota, 1989-1993
• Helped establish Kodak/Alan Page Challenge, a nationwide essay contest encouraging urban youth to recognize the value of education.
• Member, Institute of Bill of Rights Law Task Force on Drug Testing in the Workplace, 1990-1991
• Board of Directors, Minneapolis Urban League, 1987-1990

Notes

• In 1979 Page became the first active NFL player to finish a marathon. His best marathon time was 3:27:50
• In 1987 he completed Edmund Fitzgerald 100-kilometer (62-mile) race
• As a result of his long distance running, Page played his last 5 NFL seasons at 225 pounds.
• He is the only person in NFL history to have both worked on the construction of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and inducted into the Hall of Fame.

References

1. ^ purplepride.org
2. ^ chicagobears.com
3. ^ "Top justice won't pick Minn. Senate lawsuit judges". Minnesota Public Radio. 2009-01-07. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/01/07/top_justice_wont_pick_minn_senate_lawsuit_judges/. Retrieved 2009-01-07. 
4. ^ Martz, Ron. "A lineman who runs and runs". St. Petersburg Times. 22 Oct 1978

External links

• Justice Alan Page's Minnesota Courts bio
• Alan Page at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• College Football Hall of Fame
• Alan Page at Pro-Football-Reference.com
• Page Education Foundation
• 2007 Trumpet Awards
• Alan Page Biography
• Notre Dame Magazine Article on Page's 2004 commencement address
• Viking webpage on Alan Page

Legal offices
Preceded by Lawrence R. Yetka	Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court 1993-	Succeeded by Incumbent
Awards and achievements
Preceded by John Brodie	AP NFL Most Valuable Player 1971 season	Succeeded by Larry Brown
Preceded by Donna de Varona	Theodore Roosevelt Award (NCAA) 2004	Succeeded by Sally Ride

v • d • e Current statewide elected officials and legislative leaders of Minnesota U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar · Al Franken State government Tim Pawlenty, Governor · Carol Molnau, Lieutenant Governor · Mark Ritchie, Secretary of State · Lori Swanson, Attorney General · Rebecca Otto, State Auditor Senate Larry Pogemiller, Majority Leader · James Metzen, President · David Senjem, Minority Leader House Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Speaker · Tony Sertich, Majority Leader · Kurt Zellers, Minority Leader Supreme Court Eric J. Magnuson, Chief Justice · Alan Page · Paul H. Anderson · Helen M. Meyer · G. Barry Anderson · Lorie Skjerven Gildea · Christopher Dietzen

v • d • e Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football 1964 NFF National Champions Mike Burgener | Jim Carroll | Pete Duranko | Nick Eddy | George Goeddeke | Kevin Hardy | John Huarte | Joe Kantor | Jim Lynch | Alan Page | Nick Rassas | Jack Snow Head Coach Ara Parseghian Coaches Doc Urich | Joe Yonto

v • d • e Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football 1966 AP, NFF & UPI National Champions Rocky Bleier | Mike Burgener | Pete Duranko | Nick Eddy | George Goeddeke | Terry Hanratty | Kevin Hardy | Bob Kuechenberg | Jim Lynch | Alan Page | John Pergine | Steve Quinn | Jim Seymour Head Coach Ara Parseghian Coaches Jerry Wampfler | Joe Yonto

v • d • e Minnesota Vikings first-round draft picks Mason • Dunaway • Eller • Snow • Shay • Jones • G. Washington • Page • Yary • Ward • Hayden • Siemon • Foreman • McNeill • Riley • Mullaney • White • Kramer • Holloway • Brown • Martin • Nelson • Browner • Millard • Doleman • Robinson • Dozier • McDaniel • Smith • D. Washington • Steussie • Alexander • Stringer • Clemons • Rudd • Moss • Culpepper • Underwood • Hovan • Bennett • McKinnie • Williams • Udeze • Williamson • James • Greenway • Peterson • Harvin

v • d • e NFL MVP Award from the Associated Press 1957: J. Brown | 1958: J. Brown | 1959: Unitas | 1960: Not Awarded | 1961: Hornung | 1962: J. Taylor | 1963: Tittle | 1964: Unitas | 1965: J. Brown | 1966: Starr | 1967: Unitas | 1968: Morrall | 1969: Gabriel | 1970: Brodie | 1971: Page | 1972: L. Brown | 1973: Simpson | 1974: Stabler | 1975: Tarkenton 1976: Jones | 1977: Payton | 1978: Bradshaw | 1979: Campbell | 1980: Sipe | 1981: Anderson | 1982: Moseley | 1983: Theismann | 1984: Marino | 1985: Allen | 1986: L. Taylor | 1987: Elway | 1988: Esiason | 1989: Montana | 1990: Montana | 1991: Thomas | 1992: Young | 1993: Smith | 1994: Young | 1995: Favre | 1996: Favre | 1997: Favre & Sanders | 1998: Davis | 1999: Warner | 2000: Faulk | 2001: Warner | 2002: Gannon | 2003: Manning & McNair | 2004: Manning | 2005: Alexander | 2006: Tomlinson | 2007: Brady | 2008: Manning

v • d • e NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award from the Associated Press 1971: Page • 1972: Greene • 1973: Anderson • 1974: Greene (x2) • 1975: Blount • 1976: Lambert • 1977: Martin • 1978: Gradishar • 1979: Selmon • 1980: Hayes • 1981: Taylor • 1982: Taylor (x2) • 1983: Betters • 1984: Easley • 1985: Singletary • 1986: Taylor (x3) • 1987: White • 1988: Singletary (x2) • 1989: Millard • 1990: Smith • 1991: Swilling • 1992: Kennedy • 1993: Woodson • 1994: D. Sanders • 1995: Paup • 1996: Smith (x2) • 1997: Stubblefield • 1998: White (x2) • 1999: Sapp • 2000: Lewis • 2001: Strahan • 2002: Brooks • 2003: Lewis (x2) • 2004: Reed • 2005: Urlacher • 2006: Taylor • 2007: B. Sanders • 2008: Harrison

v • d • e National Football League | NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team Terry Bradshaw | Ken Stabler | Roger Staubach | Earl Campbell | Franco Harris | Walter Payton | O.J. Simpson | Harold Carmichael | Drew Pearson | Lynn Swann | Paul Warfield | Dave Casper | Charlie Sanders | Dan Dierdorf | Art Shell | Rayfield Wright | Ron Yary | Joe DeLamielleure | John Hannah | Larry Little | Gene Upshaw | Jim Langer | Mike Webster | Carl Eller | L.C. Greenwood | Harvey Martin | Jack Youngblood | Joe Greene | Bob Lilly | Merlin Olsen | Alan Page | Bobby Bell | Robert Brazile | Dick Butkus | Jack Ham | Ted Hendricks | Jack Lambert | Willie Brown | Jimmy Johnson | Roger Wehrli | Louis Wright | Dick Anderson | Cliff Harris | Ken Houston | Larry Wilson | Garo Yepremian | Jim Bakken | Ray Guy

v • d • e Minnesota Vikings Retired Numbers #10 Fran Tarkenton • #53 Mick Tingelhoff • #70 Jim Marshall • #77 Korey Stringer • #80 Cris Carter • #88 Alan Page

v • d • e Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1988 Fred Biletnikoff • Mike Ditka • Jack Ham • Alan Page

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