Sam Graddy


Samuel Louis Graddy III is an American former 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 × 100 metres relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 37.83 seconds.

In popular culture

Sam Graddy was referenced in the show Everybody Hates Chris by Orlando Jones, who tells Chris how Graddy didn't become as mainstream as Carl Lewis for finishing in second place.

Personal bests

EventTime VenueDate
60 meters6.63Paris, FranceJanuary 1, 1985
100 meters10.09Baton Rouge, LouisianaMay 12, 1984
200 meters20.30Knoxville, TennesseeMay 10, 1985