Sam Graddy

Sent: 4/20/13
Received: 4/30/13
Time: 10 days
Autographed Items Received: 1992 Pacific

I love this one. The only sporting event that rivals the NFL in my esteem is the Summer Olympics. The 1984 Olympics, in particular, are special to me since I've had a big book about it since I was a little kid. Today, I killed two birds with one stone.

Sam Graddy was a world-class sprinter at Tennessee-Knoxville and won the national championship in the 100m in 1984. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Sam won the silver medal in the 100m and a gold medal in the 4x100 relay. Amazingly, one of his teammates on that relay team was Ron Brown, and the two of them went on to play in the NFL together for the Raiders. In 1988, Sam signed with the Broncos and he only appeared in 7 games. Out of football in 1989, Sam appealed to Al Davis' eternal love for speedy receivers and was signed by the Raiders. He spent three seasons with the Raiders where he served as primarily a return man. Today, Sam works as a Development Director for University of Tennessee.

Sam was kind enough to write me a nice handwritten note back. He mentioned that he and Ron Brown are still good friends and that he will always be grateful to Al Davis for his opportunities.