The Viking Age
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Former Vikings DT Alan Page retiring from Minnesota Supreme Court

By Adam Carlson

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Alan Page is a legend among Vikings fans.  Not only was the the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player in 1971, but he was a 9-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl player.  During his time with the team, including his role in the famous Purple People Eaters defense, he accumulated 173 sacks, 3 safeties, and 2 interceptions.

Dec 9, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Fans walk through the snow before entering the Metrodome before the the game between the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

While Page was a huge success on the football field, he also found success in his choice of profession following his retirement from football.

After moving on from sports, Alan Page pursued a career in the field of law.  Even before he became a star in the NFL, he dreamed of one day becoming a lawyer.  While he was playing football, he was taking courses in law, finally passing the Bar exam in 1978.  When Page retired from the sport, he got picked up by a legal firm and starting working his way up the legal ranks.

Alan Page went from the Lindquist and Vennum law firm in Minneapolis to working with the Attorney General and finally finding himself elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1992, being re-elected in 1998, 2004, and 2010.  Now, he has reached the mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court Justices in Minnesota at 70 years old.

To honor him, Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea gave Alan Page some great recognition on his final session, as August 7, 2015 will be his 70th birthday according to an article on the Star Tribune website.

"“Before we recess, I just want to note for the record that it’s Justice Page’s last day on the bench,” said Gildea, prompting a smile and nod from Page. “It has been an honor to serve the people of Minnesota in the courtroom with you. We are adjourned.”"

Although he was honored, that kind of praise isn’t something that Alan Page deemed as necessary.

"“I told her later that, had I known it was coming, I would have been out of there before she had the opportunity,” he told the Star Tribune a few days later. “When you’re 15 or 16, all that recognition is nice. Fifty years later, enough is enough.”"

He may not like to be praised or recognized publicly, but The Viking Age would like to congratulate Alan Page on his accomplishments in both football and the legal profession.  The work he’s done for the state of Minnesota is very admirable and the contributions that he’s made to both the Minnesota Vikings and the state’s legal system have not gone unnoticed.

He is truly a man that Vikings fans can be proud of.

Next: Minnesota Vikings 2015 Game By Game Previews

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