It's not typical that Texomans would welcome a former pro football player who wasn't a Dallas Cowboy or Houston Oiler. However, they did Wednesday night as part of MSU's Artist Lecture Series. While Hall of Famer Viking Alan Page earned accolades on the football field, it's his work off the football field that he was here to discuss. Jason Calder reports.

He was a defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, number 88, part of the Purple People Eaters.

Alan Page said, "Football players are really known as dumb jocks and defensive linemen have all been hit in the head at least one too many times."

However, Wednesday night he wasn't football player Alan Page but Supreme Court Justice Page. He's been on the Minnesota Supreme Court since 1992.

Justice Page briefly discussed his football career, that was highlighted with several trips to the super bowl and a bust in the pro football hall of fame, but it was the judicial system he wanted to talk about and the problems that facing it.

He said, "We live in a time when judicial impartiality is under attack. For democracy to thrive, people need a place to solve their disputes, whether the dispute is with your neighbor or with their government. In having their disputes resolved, people must have trust and confidence, trust and confidence, in those who make those decisions."

He also talked about the importance of education.

Page said, "Help students see the connection that can be made between what they are doing in the classroom today...We give children the sense that they have a stake in our society that they feel needs to be protected."

He said everyone should encourage and reward children for a strong education. He said in doing so, we create hope. Hope that many students have given up on because they didn't have someone with character to lead the way.

He said, "Dr. Seuss said to Lorax, unless someone like you cares a whole lot about someone like me, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Justice Page can run for re-election one more time in the Minnesota Supreme Court but after that he'd have to retire as required by state law. Page was also the last lecturer in this year's Artist Lecture Series.