Ray Cunningham

[the Sports ON Tap @thesportsontap]

In 1971, Alan Page became the first defensive player in the history of the National Football League to win Most Valuable Player.

Not Defensive Player of the Year. MVP. The whole league.

He weighed 240 pounds, which was small for a defensive tackle even then, and that season he put up 109 tackles, 35 assists, 10 sacks and three safeties.

Then he went to law school while he was still playing.

Page was born in Canton, Ohio, which is where the Pro Football Hall of Fame sits, and he ended up inside it in 1988.

He played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1967 to 1978 and was one of the Purple People Eaters, the front four that terrified the NFL for a decade. Four Super Bowls. All-Pro every year from 1970 through 1977. Nine Pro Bowls.

And then Minnesota released him in the middle of the 1978 season.

Chicago picked him up. He played four more years for the Bears and retired in 1982.

So he is one of the very few men who wore both of those uniforms.

Here is what he was doing the whole time.

Page enrolled at the University of Minnesota Law School while he was an active NFL player. He got his law degree in 1978, the same year he was still lining up on Sundays.

In 1979 he went into private practice. In 1985 he joined the Minnesota attorney general's office.

And in 1993, Alan Page was elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

He served until 2015, when he hit the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Twenty-two years as a justice on a state supreme court. Longer than his football career.

In 2018 he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor this country hands out.

Now here is the part that should outlive all of it.

In 1988, the same year he went into the Hall of Fame, Page and his wife started the Page Education Foundation.

The first year they gave grants to ten students.

The rule attached to the money is the whole idea. Page Scholars get between $2,500 and $3,500 a year. In exchange, they are required to go back and do service work with children. Every single year. You take the money, you go mentor a kid.

He did not want to fund students. He wanted to build a chain.

Since 1988 the foundation has supported more than 8,500 scholars and given out more than $17 million.

More than 500 new Page Scholars are selected every year.

So the ledger reads like this.

First defensive player to win NFL MVP. Hall of Fame. Four Super Bowls. A law degree earned in the middle of all that. Twenty-two years on a state supreme court. The Presidential Medal of Freedom.

And 8,500 kids who got tuition money on the condition that they go help somebody younger than them.

He also writes children's books with his daughter Kamie.

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[Belleville High Banks @BellevilleHB]

@SLS_Promotions

[Brian Hanni @BHanni]

Keep those prayers coming for our dear friend and beloved Jayhawk & Ichabod, @CoachBBallard.

His wife Kelly’s coworkers put this out today for other ways we can help as well.

Brett is one of best people you’ll ever meet. Let’s rally around him and his wonderful family. God bless Brett & the whole Ballard fam. Love you, brother! 💙🙏❤️

#BallardStrong

[Patrick Sullivan @PatSullivanIndy]

Bob Mays is on his way to Knoxville. I will join him on Sunday and at Osky. Books will be avaliable at NSCHOF. Great chance to get one and get drivers to autograph. Recap of every year, tons of sidebars

[Ray Cunningham @RayRacee14]

@wibw Prayers for Coach Ballard. Take Care and God Bless. ❤️

[Tim Clauson @timclauson]

10 years ago today we stood in victory lane one last time. If I only I would known then it would be the last time, I would have celebrated just a little more, hugged you just a little longer and made sure you new how much doing all of this with you meant to me.

[Patrick Sullivan @PatSullivanIndy]

Dan Drinan says "Start Spreading the News" He will be there and so should you. The High Banks Hall of Fame induction ceremony luncheon begins at 11 at the Republic County School. After breaking bread and celebrating we head right over to the Museum for autographs and stories.

[Patrick Sullivan @PatSullivanIndy]

Rekindling an old tradition. We are recruiting the Republic County High School Marching Band to play the National Anthem on Saturday night. Uniforms in dry cleaning they need shirts. Let's help them. Donations @ REPUBLIC County Bands 2405 P St. Belleville 66935 att Amber Jensen

[Patrick Sullivan @PatSullivanIndy]

Headed to the printer within days. Another Fastrack Publishing product. Every race recapped, bios of race winners and key players, a range of sidebars. Foreword by Len Hayward and Bryan Hulbert, stats galore

[Ray Cunningham @RayRacee14]

@PatSullivanIndy Incredible!

[Ray Cunningham @RayRacee14]

@PatSullivanIndy Great pic Pat.

[Ray Cunningham @RayRacee14]

@JeffBollig @LieblLI 😂

[Chris Wilke @ChrisWilke11]

It took me about 10 years, but I managed to build a 1/21 mile replica of belleville Kansas in my backyard @BellevilleHB banked 28 degrees

[Belleville High Banks @BellevilleHB]

It is Race Day with @ASCSRacing for day one of The Big One!

[Ray Cunningham @RayRacee14]

@LieblLI @awfulannouncing @985TheSportsHub 😂

[Ray Cunningham @RayRacee14]

@HoopMixOnly I guess anyone who played in the NBA before the mid 1980’s doesn’t count. Very sad take.

[Ray Cunningham @RayRacee14]

@diggycoit11 @TerrapinHoops Go Getum Diggy! Loved you at KU!

[Patrick Sullivan @PatSullivanIndy]

We lost USAC driver Randy Bateman to ALS several years ago. Patty Bateman carried on. She read what we are doing May 9 with the IWIN foundation and was excited She just donated 1k to the cause. Join her. Let's make this a special night. Click the QR code on the poster to join her

[Ray Cunningham @RayRacee14]

@Jeff_Hawkins_KU @MavHawkins Way to go Mavrick!

[Kansas Jayhawks @KUAthletics]

Bob Davis, the Voice of the Jayhawks for more than 3 decades, has passed away. His impact on Jayhawk Nation was immense and will never be forgotten.

🔗→ https://t.co/BiKOqPlhSP