Real Leadership: Former NFL Star Turned Supreme Court Justice

"He was studying law in the locker room as an NFL player." - Steve Rushin

As a football fan it is with interest that I watch The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players as voted by the players themselves. In 2010, Number 43 on the list was Alan Page.

Honorable Alan C. Page

Page’s career was recounted by sportswriter Steve Rushin who, as a kid, was a Minnesota Vikings fan in awe of number 88, Alan Page.

From 1967 until 1978 Page was a defensive player for the Vikings (thereafter, he joined the Chicago Bears and played through their 1981 season.) He never missed a game in his 15-year career. On the field he was considered relentless; off the field he was described as mild-mannered and cerebral.

In 1971 he was the first defensive player to be named MVP since the award’s inception. In 1979 he became the first active NFL player to complete a marathon. It is said that he has since completed hundreds of marathons.

Why Page is a Stand Out
So, why does Alan Page stand out in Steve Rushin’s mind? Besides being a gifted player, Rushin discovered Page’s grace and humility.

In the 1970s when Rushin was unable to find a Vikings jersey with the number 88 on it, he created his own. He knew Page would be staying at a nearby hotel, so he set out to have him autograph the homemade jersey. To his dismay, Page did not sign autographs. Twenty-five years later, Rushin met Page and told him the story.

Page later responded by sending a signed number 88 jersey with a note explaining that it was meant to replace Rushin’s threadbare jersey. According to Rushin, “I can count on one hand the number of NFL subjects I’ve received a handwritten note from after that.”

The reason Page didn’t sign autographs, says Rushin, was that he did not want people to feel he was better than they were because he was a football player.

No Regrets Over Super Bowl
Although some players retire with regrets over never winning the big one, Page cared little about never winning a Super Bowl.

He focused on HIGHER EDUCATION and attended the University of Minnesota Law School while still playing for the Vikings. Amazingly, there were times he studied his law books during locker room breaks. In 1978, Page received his law degree and today, he is a MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.

Hard Work, Discipline and Focus
Of the many mementos in Page’s office, none reflect his career as an NFL player. Instead there are mementos of Jim Crow laws and other reminders of the power lawmakers possess to make a difference.

"The lessons that I learned from professional football were many: hard work, discipline, focus, the ability to analyze a problem and work through it. To accept that you don't always win and when you do win that doesn't change who you are." Alan C. Page, 2005