Notre Dame = Supreme Court Judges
LSU= You want fries with that?
Alan Page Named 2005 Distinguished American Awardee
Posted: May 18, 2005
Jon F. Hanson, Chairman of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF), announced that Alan Page, College Football Hall of Famer from Notre Dame and current Minnesota Supreme Court Justice will be the 2005 recipient of the Distinguished American Award.
Established in 1966 and presented on special occasions when a truly deserving individual emerges, the award honors someone who has applied the character building attributes learned from amateur sport in their business and personal life, exhibiting superior leadership qualities in education, amateur athletics, business and in the community. Paige will become the awards 34th recipient, joining a list that includes Vince Lombardi, Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Pete Rozelle and Tom Osborne.
It is an absolute pleasure to be able to honor Alan Page at our awards dinner 12 years since we last recognized him, when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, Hanson said. Not only was he a remarkable athlete, but he continues to tirelessly give back to the community while serving as a Supreme Court Justice.
A Hall of Fame player both in college and the NFL, Alan Pages greatest contributions have come as a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and founder of the Page Education Foundation, which he created in 1988 to encourage Minnesotas youth of color to continue their education through a variety of initiatives.
Page graduated from Central Catholic High School in Canton, Ohio, and from the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a B.A. in Political Science in 1967. At Notre Dame, he led the football team to a national championship in 1966 and a 25-3-2 mark from 1964 to 1966. A first-round draft pick and 15th overall, he went on to collect 164 career sacks, block 28 punts or placekicks, recover 24 fumbles and appear in eight Pro Bowls in a professional football career that spanned 15 seasons, including 10 as a member of the Vikings and five with the Chicago Bears.
While playing professional football, Page attended law school full time, earning a Juris Doctor in 1978 from the University of Minnesota. In 1979, he began practicing law with a Minnesota firm. He later became an assistant attorney general, and in 1993 he was sworn in as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.