Sam Graddy

Sam Graddy

No. 83, 85
Position:	Wide Receiver
Personal information
Date of birth:	February 10, 1964
Place of birth:	Gaffney, South Carolina
Height:	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school:	North Atlanta High School
College:	University of Tennessee
NFL Draft:	1987 / Round:
Career history
Denver Broncos (1987–1988) Los Angeles Raiders (1990–1992)
Player stats at PFR

Samuel Louis ("Sam") Graddy III (born February 10, 1964) is a former American athlete and American football player, winner of gold medal in 4 × 100 m relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Early years

Born in Gaffney, South Carolina, Sam Graddy was second in the 100 m and was a member of gold medal winning American 4 × 100 m relay team at the 1983 Pan American Games.

Professional career

After graduating from university, Graddy was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 1987 NFL Draft. He played seasons 1987 and 1988, and signed with the Los Angeles Raiders, where he played 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 an 80-yard touchdown pass against the Houston Oilers.

Track and field

Sam Graddy

Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
	1984 Los Angeles	4x100 metres relay
	1984 Los Angeles	100 metres
Pan American Games
	1983 Caracas	4×100 metres relay
	1983 Caracas	100 metres

Graddy was also a standout track athlete. In 1984, he won the US National championships in 100 meters with a time of 10.08 seconds, and as a University of Tennessee at Knoxville student, he also won the NCAA 100 meters title.

At the Los Angeles Olympics, Graddy was second behind Carl Lewis in 100 m and ran the first leg in the American 4 x 100 metres relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 37.83 seconds.

Personal bests

Event	Time (seconds)	Venue	Date
60 meters	6.63	Paris, France	January 1, 1985
100 meters	10.08	Knoxville, Tennessee	May 19, 1984
200 meters	20.30	Knoxville, Tennessee	May 10, 1985

References