View source for Sam Graddy

{{Short description|American football player (born 1964)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = Sam Graddy
| number        = 83, 85
| position      = [[Wide receiver]]
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1964|2|10|mf=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Gaffney, South Carolina]], U.S. 
| height_ft     = 5
| height_in     = 10
| weight_lb     = 175
| high_school   = [[North Atlanta High School|Northside]]
| college       = [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]]
| undraftedyear = 1987
| pastteams     = 
* [[Denver Broncos]] ({{NFL Year|1987|1988}})
* [[Los Angeles Raiders]] ({{NFL Year|1989|1992}})
| statlabel1    = [[Reception (gridiron football)|Reception]]s
| statvalue1    = 18
| statlabel2    = Receiving yards
| statvalue2    = 477
| statlabel3    = [[Touchdown]]s
| statvalue3    = 3
| pfr           = G/GradSa00
}}

'''Samuel Louis Graddy III''' (born February 10, 1964) is an American former [[Athletics (sport)|athlete]] and professional [[American football|football]] player, winner of gold medal in 4 × 100 m [[Relay race|relay]] at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]]. He played in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) as a [[wide receiver]].

==Early life==
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]].

==Track and field==
{{MedalTableTop}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalOlympic}}
{{MedalGold|[[1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Los Angeles]]|[[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 metres relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 1984 Los Angeles|[[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|100 metres]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1983 Pan American Games|1983 Caracas]] | [[Athletics at the 1983 Pan American Games|4 × 100 metres relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1983 Pan American Games|1983 Caracas]] | [[Athletics at the 1983 Pan American Games|100 metres]]}}
{{MedalBottom}}

Graddy was also a standout track athlete. In 1984, he won the gold medal at the [[1984 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships]] in the [[100 meters]] with a time of 10.28 seconds, and as a [[University of Tennessee at Knoxville]] student, he also won the 100 meters title at the [[1984 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/u-s-national-championships-history/ |title=U.S. National Championships History 1876-2020 |author3=Track & Field News |magazine=[[Track & Field News]] |access-date=September 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/tfn_pdfs/ncaa_history_pdfs/ncaam100.pdf |title=A History Of The NCAA Championships, 1921–2016: 100 Meters |author=Hill, E. Garry |magazine=Track & Field News |access-date=January 8, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

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

===Personal bests===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Event
!Time (seconds)
!Venue
!Date
|-
|[[60 meters]]
|6.63
|Paris, France
|January 1, 1985
|-
|[[100 meters]]
|10.09<!--Graddy ran a wind-aided 10.08 in Knoxville on May 19, 1984-->
|Baton Rouge, Louisiana
|May 12, 1984
|-
|[[200 meters]]
|20.30
|Knoxville, Tennessee
|May 10, 1985
|}

==Professional career==
After graduating from university of Tennessee, Graddy was signed by the [[Denver Broncos]] in 1987. He played in Denver during the 1987 and 1988 seasons catching one pass for 30 yards. After being out of football for the 1989 season, he signed with the [[Los Angeles Raiders]] where he played from 1990 to 1992. During his Raider career Graddy was plagued with dropped passes therefore moved down the depth chart and mainly limited to kick return duty. His career highlight was in 1991 when he caught an 80-yard touchdown pass against the [[Houston Oilers]]. Graddy ended his career with 18 catches, 477 yards, 26.5 average per reception and 3 touchdowns. He also returned 27 kicks for 458 yards.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Men|1984}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions 4x100m Men}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 4x100 m Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1984 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer US NC 100m Men}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graddy, Sam}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Gaffney, South Carolina]]
[[Category:American men sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1983 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:American football wide receivers]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Raiders players]]
[[Category:Denver Broncos players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from South Carolina]]
[[Category:Tennessee Volunteers men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from South Carolina]]
[[Category:University of Tennessee alumni]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States]]
[[Category:USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1983 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]