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Engraved portrait of Red Grange
Sports · 1920s

Red Grange

In memoriam 1903–1991
Football (halfback)Sport
Illinois, Chicago Bears, New York Yankees (AFL)Team(s)
1932 NFL Championship (Bears)Titles
Wore jersey No. 77, retired by IllinoisRecords
Harold Edward Grange, Forksville, PennsylvaniaBorn
The Turning Point

On October 18, 1924, playing for Illinois against a powerful Michigan team, Grange scored four touchdowns in the game's first 12 minutes on runs of 95, 67, 56, and 44 yards. The dazzling performance made 'the Galloping Ghost' a national celebrity and cemented him as college football's biggest star.

Red Grange in 1925
Red Grange in 1925

The Wheaton Iceman

Growing up in Wheaton, Illinois, Grange delivered ice during the summers to build his strength. By the time he reached the University of Illinois, he was a once-in-a-generation runner who electrified crowds.

Harold 'Red' Grange, November 1923
Harold 'Red' Grange, November 1923

Galloping Into Legend

His four-touchdown explosion against Michigan in 1924 turned him into a household name. Grandland Rice and other sportswriters dubbed him 'the Galloping Ghost,' and college football attendance soared.

Saving the Pro Game

When Grange turned pro with the Chicago Bears in 1925, his star power filled stadiums on a national barnstorming tour. His drawing power gave the struggling NFL the credibility and attention it needed to survive.

Career Timeline

  1. 1923Becomes star halfback at University of Illinois
  2. 1924Scores four long TDs vs Michigan in 12 minutes
  3. 1925Three-time All-American; signs with Chicago Bears
  4. 1925Barnstorming tour draws huge NFL crowds
  5. 1926Co-founds rival AFL with manager C.C. Pyle
  6. 1929Returns to Chicago Bears after knee injury
  7. 1932Wins NFL championship with the Bears
  8. 1933Plays in first NFL Championship Game
  9. 1934Retires from professional football
  10. 1951Charter inductee, College Football Hall of Fame
  11. 1963Charter inductee, Pro Football Hall of Fame

Biggest Hits

1924
Four touchdowns vs MichiganScored on 95, 67, 56, and 44-yard runs in 12 minutes
1925
Three-time All-American at IllinoisMost celebrated college player of the 1920s
1932
NFL Championship with the BearsHelped Chicago win the indoor title game
1963
Pro Football Hall of Fame charter memberAmong the first class enshrined in Canton
1951
College Football Hall of Fame charter memberInducted in the inaugural class
1925
Signing with Chicago BearsHis barnstorming tour put the young NFL on the map
Did You Know
  • His nickname 'the Wheaton Iceman' came from a summer job hauling ice blocks in Wheaton, Illinois, which he credited for his powerful legs.
  • Grange's 1925 signing with the Bears drew a then-record 70,000 fans to a game and helped legitimize professional football in America.

Portrait: National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress) · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

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