Sam Graddy
Encyclopedia
Samuel Louis Graddy III (born February 10, 1964) is a former American
athlete and American football
player, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay
at the 1984 Summer Olympics
.
Born in Gaffney, South Carolina
, Sam Graddy was second in 100 m and was a member of gold medal winning American 4x100 m relay team at the 1983 Pan American Games
.
In 1984, Graddy won the US National championships in 100 m and as a University of Tennessee at Knoxville student, won the NCAA
100 m title.
At the Los Angeles
Olympics
, Graddy was second behind Carl Lewis
in 100 m and ran the first leg in the American 4x100 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record
of 37.83.
After graduating from university, Graddy played professional football for the Denver Broncos
(seasons 1987 and 1988) and for the Los Angeles Raiders from 1990 to 1992. During his Raider career Graddy was blasted by Raider fans for dropping too many passes and since the Raider coaches also realized this his playing time was reduced. In 1991 he scored on a 80 yard touchdown pass against the Houston Oilers. On February 25, 2010, Graddy paid a visit to the Dekalb Academy of Technology and Environment to remind himself of his past of being a Boy Scout.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete and American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
.
Born in Gaffney, South Carolina
Gaffney, South Carolina
Gaffney is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States, in the upstate region of South Carolina. Gaffney is also sometimes referred to as the Peach capital of South Carolina. The population was 12,414 at the 2010 census...
, Sam Graddy was second in 100 m and was a member of gold medal winning American 4x100 m relay team at the 1983 Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
.
In 1984, Graddy won the US National championships in 100 m and as a University of Tennessee at Knoxville student, won the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
100 m title.
At the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, Graddy was second behind Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
in 100 m and ran the first leg in the American 4x100 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
of 37.83.
After graduating from university, Graddy played professional football for the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(seasons 1987 and 1988) and for the Los Angeles Raiders from 1990 to 1992. During his Raider career Graddy was blasted by Raider fans for dropping too many passes and since the Raider coaches also realized this his playing time was reduced. In 1991 he scored on a 80 yard touchdown pass against the Houston Oilers. On February 25, 2010, Graddy paid a visit to the Dekalb Academy of Technology and Environment to remind himself of his past of being a Boy Scout.