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Resounding Words Help Tell Alan Page's Story

The chapters of Alan Page's story are plentiful.

The words to describe him carry magnitude.

We asked Vikings Legends to reflect on their time playing with Page, who was drafted by Minnesota in 1967 and went on to spend 11-plus seasons in Purple. Limited to one word to describe their former teammate, those Legends provide a myriad of responses.

Introspective, says Ron Yary. Bobby Bryant goes with Superior.

In all caps from fellow Hall of Famer Paul Krause: STEADY.

Dave Osborn, who practiced opposite Page for nine seasons, sums up the defensive tackle in four letters: Fast.

Smart from Ed White and Inventive from fellow Purple People Eater Carl Eller.

And Gary Larsen, a fellow Purple People Eater who helped Page, Eller and Jim Marshall by anchoring Minnesota's famed defensive line?

Fantastisk, he sends. Norwegian for "awesome"!

Before Sunday's season opener, in which the Vikings donned their Classic Uniforms in homage to Legends past, Page sounded the Gjallarhorn to signal "The Vikings are coming." He was joined on the platform by two of his grandchildren, Theo Page and Esther Friesen, who proudly executed the SKOL Chant alongside Page.

The former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice became just the third person in franchise history to sound the horn three times, joining the late Bud Grant and Hall of Fame DE Jared Allen.

Minnesota went on to record an epic comeback win over Green Bay with Page and his family looking on.

Page left an indelible impact on the Vikings organization, to be sure, as well as on the State of Minnesota and all those who know and love him, not only via his football career but through a life of service dedicated to others.

Hall of Famer defender

On the field, Page garnered a larger-than-life reputation, tossing aside opposing offensive linemen to take down quarterbacks game after game.

Page played in 160 straight regular-season games for the Vikings, starting all but three, during which he logged a whopping 108.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries, a fumble return touchdown and two safeties. He also finished off an interception return for a score after catching a no-look lateral from Marshall.

The NFL in 2010 released a list of the league's top 100 players of all time, slating Page at No. 43. Longtime journalist Steve Rushin noted during an interview that Page "revolutionized the defensive tackle position."

"He said the coaches wanted him to kind of man this one-square yard of space, his lane. He never found that particularly interesting, so you'd see him going through all different kinds of gaps. You'd see him swimming around two [opponents] at the same time," Rushin said. "He looked just huge in his uniform with those pads on, but out of uniform, he was a fairly skinny guy [who ran] marathons; you wouldn't think he was one of the greatest players in the history of the National Football League."

And yet, Page was exactly that. He became the first defensive player to win NFL MVP, taking home the award following the 1971 season, and Lawrence Taylor (1986) is the only other defensive player to win MVP. Page played in all four of Minnesota's Super Bowl appearances (IV, VIII, IX, XI), earned All-Pro honors five times and received nine Pro Bowl nods.

Page played against the Packers and Lions 29 times apiece in his NFC North career with Minnesota (1967-78) and Chicago (1978-81), more than any other team. In career Border Battles, he helped the Vikings go 18-4 against the Packers.

Page was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988, and his 88 is one of just six Vikings jerseys to be retired.

Voice for the voiceless

No matter how many accolades Page acquired on the gridiron, the athletic limelight never truly captivated him.

He's cared deeply, rather, about bettering the world around him and advocating for marginalized communities. Page began pursuing his law degree even while playing for the Vikings, often studying legal textbooks in the locker room and attending law classes after practice.

Page earned his Juris Doctor in 1978 and in 1992 was elected to an open seat as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court — becoming the first African American to serve on the state's high court. He was reelected in 1998, 2004 and 2010, before state mandates required him to retire at the age of 70.

It wasn't only through his judicial career that Page made a difference.

He and his late wife Diane in 1988 established the Page Education Foundation, with a goal to "encourage, motivate and assist Minnesota's students of color in the pursuit of post-secondary education and, in the process, change the future. In 1988, the Foundation supported 10 Page Scholars; the nonprofit now annually aids more than 500 and has awarded more than $16 million in education grants.

Page was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest honor for a civilian, in November 2018.

"No matter who they are, no matter what field they've chosen, they continue to do great things," Page said of scholars in 2025. "They continue to make this world a better place. They continue to contribute to who we are as a people and as a community."

Friend and family

There are many words Marshall may have used to describe his longtime teammate, with whom he remained close through his passing in June 2025.

We asked Marshall's wife, Susan, to define Page in a single word; she thought carefully before selecting Friend.

"He and Jim, they had such a lovely relationship," Susan said. "For six decades, they were loyal to each other. They really were. Through anything and everything.

"I'm so lucky because I get to have him for a friend," she added, voice breaking. "I feel close to Jim when I'm around him."

Like everything he's accomplished in his life, Page loves well.

He cherished Diane through 45 years of marriage until her passing in 2018, together raising their children and later pouring into their grandchildren. His legacy is his family's legacy.

Page cares deeply for the countless young people he has invested in, whether Page scholars, students at Justice Page Middle School or the readers of five children's books he and his daughter Kamie have co-written.

He loves his teammates and their families, and he loves the state that's been his home since 1967. Whether walking around Lake of the Isles, tapping for maple syrup on the shores of Lake Washburn or cheering on runners of the Twin Cities Marathon, Page somehow epitomizes Minnesota.

From the football field, to the courthouse, to his relationships through and beyond Land of 10,000 Lakes, he is special.

There are many pages to his story. There is, however, only one Justice Alan Page — and he is a Classic.