Alan Page

Alan Page was a dominant Vikings defensive tackle and Pro Football Hall of Famer who later served as a Minnesota Supreme Court justice.

Alan Page is the only NFL Most Valuable Player ever to go on to serve as a state Supreme Court justice. Before that second act, he'd already redefined the defensive tackle position, playing with a level of speed and range no interior lineman had shown before. Born in Canton, Ohio, on August 7, 1945, he grew up in a working-class family, starred at Central Catholic High School, and earned a scholarship to Notre Dame, where his dominant play made him Minnesota's 15th overall pick in 1967. Page transformed the defensive tackle position during his NFL career, combining unprecedented speed and agility with traditional defensive line strength. Playing primarily with the Minnesota Vikings from 1967 to 1978, he anchored the famous "Purple People Eaters" defensive line alongside Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, and Gary Larsen. His exceptional mobility allowed him to pursue plays sideline to sideline, revolutionizing expectations for interior linemen. Page concluded his playing career with the Chicago Bears from 1978 to 1981, retiring after 15 seasons. In 1971, Page became the first defensive player in NFL history to win the Most Valuable Player award, a testament to his game-changing impact. He earned nine Pro Bowl selections and six consecutive All-Pro honors while helping lead Minnesota to four Super Bowl appearances. His career statistics include over 170 quarterback sacks, though official sack records were not kept during much of his playing tenure. Beyond football, Page pursued academic excellence while maintaining his playing career, earning his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978. Following his retirement from football, he practiced law and later served as an associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1993 to 2015. His dual success in professional sports and jurisprudence remains virtually unprecedented among former athletes. Page was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom — recognition of a life that, decades after his playing days ended, still stands as the clearest bridge football has produced between the NFL and the American judiciary.

Exceptionally quick and agile defensive tackle who used speed rather than just size to disrupt opposing offenses

Revolutionized the defensive tackle position with his speed and agility, later became the first African American Minnesota Supreme Court Justice

• 1971 NFL MVP
• NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1971
• 9x Pro Bowl
• 6x First-Team All-Pro
• Pro Football Hall of Fame