30 greatest NFL defensive players of all-time
By Daniel Tran
8. Alan Page, Defensive Tackle
When you are born in Canton, Ohio (the site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame), and you play football, there is a special kind of motivation for you to make an immortal homecoming and be enshrined in your town’s most recognizable football facility. Alan Page made it home with that honor.
Born in Canton, (the now Honorable) Alan Page was an integral part of the notorious “Purple People Eaters” defense with the Minnesota Vikings. He made a living off pressing the quarterback with his colleagues on the defensive line, collecting 148.5 unofficial sacks for in his career. It was not just his sack numbers that were impressive; it was also his durability that is notable.
Page played in 218 consecutive games for the Vikings and the Chicago Bears. His production and reliability allowed him to earn an NFL MVP award in 1971, and the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1971 and 1973.
After nine Pro-Bowl and All-Pro selections, Page was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
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