Alan Page facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan Page
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Page in 2020
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| Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court | |||||||||||||
| In office January 4, 1993 – August 31, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Lawrence R. Yetka | ||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Natalie Hudson | ||||||||||||
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| Born |
Alan Cedric Page
August 7, 1945 Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Spouse |
Diane Sims Page
(m. 1973; died 2018) |
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| Children | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BA) University of Minnesota (JD) |
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| Profession |
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| Awards | .svg){kind=small} Presidential Medal of Freedom (2018) |
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Football career |
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Page in 1969
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| No. 88, 82 | |||||||||||||
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Central Catholic (Canton, Ohio) |
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| College: | Notre Dame (1964–1966) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Alan Cedric Page (born August 7, 1945) is a famous American who was both a professional football player and a judge. He played as a defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). In 1971, he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
After his amazing football career, Alan Page became a lawyer and then a judge on the Minnesota Supreme Court. He served on the court from 1993 until 2015. In 2018, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is one of the highest awards a civilian can get in the United States. He is also a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Many people think he is one of the best defensive players in football history.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alan Page grew up in Canton, Ohio. His parents taught him how important education was. They also taught him to always do his best. When he was 13, his mother passed away. Alan Page said that he wanted to be a lawyer ever since he was a child.
He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963. He was a star in many sports, especially football. He even worked on the construction team that built the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Years later, he would be honored there himself!
College Football Career
After high school, Alan Page played college football at the University of Notre Dame. In 1966, as a senior, he helped his team, the Fighting Irish, win a national championship. He was also named an All-American that year.
In 1993, Alan Page was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He also received several other awards for his achievements after college. These awards recognized his success in life beyond football.
Professional Football Career
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The Minnesota Vikings picked Alan Page in the first round of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft. He played for the Vikings for 11 seasons, until 1977. He was part of all four Super Bowl teams that the Vikings played in. In 1978, he joined the Chicago Bears and played there for four more seasons.
Alan Page was a right defensive tackle. He had a special way of standing, putting his left hand on the ground instead of his right. During his 15 years in the NFL, the Vikings won four conference titles. They also won one league championship. Page was a key part of the Vikings' famous defensive line, known as the "Purple People Eaters." This group was very good at tackling the quarterback.
He played in 218 games in a row without missing any. During his career, he recovered 22 fumbles and made 148.5 sacks. He also scored three touchdowns. He holds the record for the second-most safeties in NFL history with three. He also blocked 23 kicks. In 1976, he had his best year with 18 sacks.
Alan Page was named All-Pro six times during his career. He was also voted to nine Pro Bowls in a row. In 1971, he made history by becoming the first defensive player to win the AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award. Only one other defensive player, Lawrence Taylor, has won this award since. In 2019, he was chosen for the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Player Representative Role
Alan Page was a player representative for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) from 1970 to 1974 and again from 1976 to 1977. He also served on the NFLPA Executive Committee. He was involved in an important lawsuit called Mackey v. National Football League. This case helped change rules about how players could move to different teams. In 1988, Alan Page was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Life After Football
After his football career, Alan Page explored other interests. He worked as a commentator for college football games on TV. He also worked as a commentator for National Public Radio.
Legal Career and Judgeship
Even while playing football, Alan Page was preparing for his future. He went to the University of Minnesota Law School and earned his law degree in 1978. After graduating, he worked at a law firm. In 1985, he became a Special Assistant Attorney General. He was later promoted to Assistant Attorney General.
In 1992, Alan Page was elected as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. He was the first African-American person to serve on that court. He was reelected several times. He served until 2015, when he reached the court's required retirement age of 70.
Personal Life and Community Work
Alan Page was married to Diane Sims Page from 1973 until she passed away in 2018. They had four children together. Alan Page is a Catholic.
In 1988, Alan and Diane Page started the Page Education Foundation. This foundation helps students of color pay for college. It also connects them with mentors. In return, the students promise to volunteer in their communities. The foundation has helped over 7,500 students. These students have given more than 475,000 hours of volunteer time to young children.
Alan Page and his daughter, Kamie Page, have written four children's books together. These books include Alan and His Perfectly Pointy Impossibly Perpendicular Pinky (2013) and The Invisible You (2014). The money from these books helps support the Page Education Foundation.
Alan Page loves running and runs regularly. In 1979, he became the first active NFL player to finish a marathon. His running routine was so intense that it may have even led to him leaving the Minnesota Vikings.
The Pages also created the Diane and Alan Page Collection. This is a large collection of items related to American history. It includes items about the Jim Crow era. In 2018, some items from this collection were shown in an exhibit called 'Testify' at the Minneapolis Central Library.
In 2017, a middle school in Minneapolis was renamed Justice Page Middle School. This happened after students at the school started a campaign. In 2020, another new elementary school in Maplewood was named Justice Alan Page Elementary School.
In November 2018, President Donald Trump gave Alan Page the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2020, Alan Page and Neel Kashkari suggested changing part of the Minnesota Constitution. They wanted to add that all children have a right to a good education. This education should prepare them for the economy, democracy, and society.
Awards and Memberships
Alan Page has received many honors and is part of several important groups.
Honorary Degrees
He has received many honorary doctorates from different universities:
- Honorary Doctorates in Humane Letters:
* Macalester College, 1999 * Winston-Salem State University, 2000 * Gustavus Adolphus College, 2003 * University of Notre Dame, 2004 * Duke University, 2011 * Hamline University, 2019
- Honorary Doctorates of Law:
* University of Notre Dame, 1993 * St. John's University, 1994 * Westfield State College, 1994 * Luther College, 1995 * University of New Haven, 1999 * Carleton College, 2016
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
- Founder, Page Education Foundation, 1988. This foundation helps minority youth with college education.
- Member, Board of Regents, University of Minnesota, 1989–1993
See also
In Spanish: Alan Page para niños
- List of consecutive starts by National Football League players
- Purple People Eaters
- List of African-American jurists
- List of American professional sports figures who held elective office
- List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Minnesota
