Introduction
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
Graddy was also a standout track athlete. In 1984, he won the US National championships in 100 meters with a time of 10.28 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 | 10.09 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | May 12, 1984 |
| 200 meters | 20.30 | Knoxville, Tennessee | May 10, 1985 |