As children, the phrase “the sky’s the limit” is somewhat cliche, maybe even slightly overused. We grow up hoping to acccomplish these far-off dreams, with a notion that we may not succeed, and that perhaps limits exist. North Atlanta allows us to reach for these outlandish dreams, the ones your kindergarten self-proclaimed as your future paths, like astronauts, NFL players, or even Olympians. One particular student took these dreams to the next level: Samuel Graddy. 

Graddy embarked on his path in Atlanta Public Schools at Sarah Smith Elementary, then Sutton Middle School, and finally Northside High School as part of the graduating class of 1982. Northside was one of the two schools that combined to form the merger that is North Atlanta today in 1991 and was just down the road from where we stand today. Graddy was involved in the “M to M” program of the 1970s, which focused on integrating and diversifying the public school system of Atlanta. Because of this program, he was one of the only persons of color at Sarah Smith when he first started attending, and he remembers being welcomed with open arms in the entire course of his academic career at APS. “Freshman year was 1978 at North, very normal at that point, very relaxed accepting culture. I remember it being comfortable, there was an embrace that we were a mixed school, we got along great.” Graddy said, “There was also an appreciation and apparent mix of diverse teachers as well at North, which also helped my experience there.”

Though the star-studded Samual Graddy excelled at Northside, that was only the beginning of his course as a talented athlete. He was #2 on the field as a wide receiver on the football team, and worked as hard as he could to be first in every other aspect of the game. Up until his sophomore year Graddy had only played football, that was until one of his peers challenged him to a race. A classmate by the name of Stanley Blalock antagonized Graddy to go out for the track team in order to prove that he was faster. Just four years later, Graddy represented the United States at the Olympics for track and field, winning one silver and gold medal for the country and likely proving his classmate of his undeniable talent. “In my mind he was bragging about his speed, and he challenged me to join the track, so I did. I had never lost a race before, so I figured I would do okay,” he said, “I was gifted with a talent for speed, and this was just an interesting story as to why I took up track to begin with!”

Subsequently, Graddy received a full scholarship to the University of Tennessee for his athletic and academic abilities. During his term at the university, he attended the 1984 Olympics for track and field, and graduated with a degree in economics. Then, he signed with a free agent to the Denver Broncos for two years under the infamous quarterback of John Elway, and finally, he finished his NFL career with four seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders. Though Graddy is gracious enough to express his appreciation for a “God-Given talent”, all of these accomplishments do not go without a level of work seldom paralleled. Graddy was raised with two discipline-based parents, which allowed him to understand the importance of balance regarding school and sports. “With athletics, I was a natural hard worker, and I had a strong desire to win. I always found ways to outwork my competition. I would do practice at school and then go home and run hills. I put in extra work,” he said. “It was a smooth rhythm, I timed it to allow me to work on my craft and my work. “No pain no gain”, you have to invest the time to be better than your competition.”

In addition to his numerous achievements, Graddy holds himself with careful kindness, as well as a peculiar skill for inspiring others. He emphasizes the importance of the keys to success: dedication, determination, and perseverance, and hopes that current students will recognize how fortunate they are and become something bigger than themselves. “Identify your gift or talent, someone else might be an artistic talent or mathematical prodigy, but identify that gift, and then do everything in your power to develop your talent to reach your full potential.”

All of us may not be Olympic athletes, but talent is unique, and truly: the sky is the limit.