Alan Page
Hall of Fame defensive tackle who starred for the Vikings and Bears, later became a Minnesota Supreme Court justice.
Alan Cedric Page (born August 7, 1945) is an American former Minnesota Supreme Court judge and professional football player. After playing college football at the University of Notre Dame, Page gained national recognition as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) during 15 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.
- Role
- Defensive Tackle
- Primary Affiliation
- Minnesota Vikings (1967-1978)
- NFL Honors
- 2x First-Team All-Pro, 4x Pro Bowl
- MVP Award
- 1971 NFL MVP (Only defensive player to win)
- Hall of Fame
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1988)
Lore & Background
Page was the first defensive player in NFL history to win the MVP Award and only Lawrence Taylor has done it since. He is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame (1993) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988). In 2018, President Donald Trump awarded Page the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Page earned All-Pro honors six times and was voted to nine consecutive Pro Bowls.
In Their Own Story
Few sights were more daunting for Chicago than watching Page line up at Soldier Field. He didn't just rush; he flowed around blockers with surgical precision before exploding into the backfield. Quarterbacks learned quickly that scrambling was futile against his pursuit. Facing Page wasn't just a game; it was an enduring lesson in defensive dominance.
Reader's Guide
Page played for the Minnesota Vikings for 11 seasons (through 1977) and joined the Chicago Bears in 1978, playing there for four seasons. He amassed 148½ sacks (108½ with the Vikings, 40 with the Bears), recovered 22 fumbles, scored three touchdowns, recorded three safeties, and blocked 23 kicks. He played in 218 consecutive games.
Did You Know?
- Page was the first defensive player to be named AP NFL Most Valuable Player (1971).
- He is one of 11 Vikings to have played in all four Super Bowls (IV, VIII, IX, XI).
- Page earned a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978 while still playing for the Vikings.
- He served as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1993 until mandatory retirement at age 70 in 2015.
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