Grady Alderman

Grady Charles Alderman (December 10, 1938 – April 5, 2018) was an American football player and executive. He played principally as an offensive tackle for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the Minnesota Vikings.

Early life

Alderman was born on December 10, 1938, in Detroit, Michigan to Cecil and Grace Alderman. He attend the University of Detroit Mercy, playing on its football team from 1957 to 1959 as an offensive lineman. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. He is in the Detroit Mercy Titans Hall of Fame.

Football career

Playing career

The Detroit Lions selected Alderman in the tenth round of the 1960 NFL draft (111th overall). He played in 11 games, starting only one (at guard), for the Lions in 1960. In 1961, the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the expansion draft. Alderman would go on to play 194 regular season games for the Vikings, chiefly at left tackle, and 12 post-season games, including Super Bowls IV, VIII and IX. He missed only three games in 14 years with the Vikings.

In 1974, he put off having cancer surgery to participate in Super Bowl VIII, played on January 13, 1974. He had learned about the cancer after the Vikings defeated the Dallas Cowboys for the National Football Conference title on December 30, 1973. His doctors concluded there was no additional risk to him if he played in the Super Bowl, and Alderman had the surgery three days after the Super Bowl; subsequently undergoing radiation treatment as well. Alderman lived another 44 years.

He started 177 games for the Vikings from 1961 to 1974. He was selected to six Pro Bowls in a seven-year span (1963–1967, 1969), and was twice selected All Pro (1965, second team; 1969, first or second team). In 1975, he ended his professional playing career in the Chicago Bears training camp, as a player then coach, and did not play another official game. He is also noted for being the "last of the original Vikings."

Hall of fame Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton described Alderman (and defensive lineman Jim Marshall) as the cornerstones of the Vikings teams of that era. Hall of fame Minnesota coach Bud Grant said of Alderman, "'He was a great leader, respected, smart and played left tackle which is a very valuable position on the field and was good at it. He was very, very intelligent, and it showed in how he played.'"

He was selected to the group of 50 greatest Vikings, named to celebrate the teams' 50th anniversary. He had also been named to the Vikings 25th anniversary all-time team.

In 2021, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Alderman to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2021.

Post-playing football career

Broadcaster

After leaving the Bears, for the next four years Alderman did color commentary for radio broadcasts of the Vikings' games.

Business and financial consultant

Alderman was a certified public accountant (CPA). During the off-seasons of his playing career, he worked as a CPA for Deloitte, Haskins & Sells. He later used his financial experience to work with the Vikings after his career was over, first in overseeing the construction of the team's headquarters (Winter Park); and then in managing a $25 million investment earmarked for construction of the Vikings new sports stadium (the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome).

General manager

From March 1981 until December 1982, he was the general manager of the Denver Broncos, and raised his family in Colorado.

Death

Alderman died on April 5, 2018, at the age of 79.