The Galloping Ghost. The Wheaton Iceman.Â
Meet Harold "Red" Grange: One of the greatest football players of all time.Â
In honor of the 100th anniversary of Grange's Illinois debut back in 1923, it is important to reintroduce the Illini FamILLy to a man who revolutionized the game of football at the college and professional levels. While his name may be known to all Illinois fans, his legendary story deserves retelling.
With a statue outside Memorial Stadium and the namesake of the Illini's pregame tailgating spot, Grange is forever honored and memorialized in program history for his contributions to Illinois and the broader football community.
"He ran with a rhythm I've never seen duplicated — the overÂall effect being one of orchestrated perfection," said former Illinois head coach Bob Zuppke. "GenerÂaÂtions to come will produce their great runners, but only Grange's name will be immortal. They can argue all they want about the greatest football player who ever lived. I was satisfied I had him when I had Red Grange. I will never have another Red Grange, but neither will anyone else."
From 1923-25, Grange donned his now-iconic #77 jersey and left his mark on every field he touched, and some of his most famous performances coincided with the early days of Memorial Stadium history.
After tallying three touchdowns against Nebraska in his collegiate debut on Oct. 6, 1923, Grange scored the first touchdown in stadium history less than one month later on Nov. 3, 1923, a game so muddy that many fans abandoned their footwear. Despite the unfavorable playing and spectating conditions, the Galloping Ghost recorded 24 carries for 101 yards in a 7-0 win over the University of Chicago.
A track star in high school in Wheaton, Illinois, and standing at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, Grange led the Fighting Illini to an undefeated 1923 campaign that culminated in a national championship. Named a Walter Camp All-American, Grange accounted for 723 yards and 72 points during his freshman season.
Grange's sophomore year featured some of the most impressive and dominant outings in the history of college football. One such performance came on Homecoming and Memorial Stadium's dedication to World War I fallen soldiers on Oct. 18, 1924, against powerhouse Michigan.
The Wolverines entered the contest on a 20-game winning streak, outscoring opponents by nearly 400 points during that stretch. With over 70,000 fans packed into Memorial Stadium, Grange put that streak to an end, putting together arguably the most masterful performance of his college career.
Scoring four touchdowns within the first 12 minutes of the game, all of which came on runs of at least 40 yards, Grange finished the day with 212 rushing yards, 64 passing yards, 126 yards on kickoff returns, and six total scores in a 39-14 Illini victory over the mighty Wolverines.Â
"Michigan never knew Red Grange, the Illinois wildcat, until today," wrote James Crusinberry of the Chicago Tribune. "Now Michigan knows him well. He stamped himself as one of the greatest football stars of all time."
Grange finished the 1924 campaign with 1,176 yards of total offense – 743 rushing and 433 passing yards – and a career-high 15 touchdowns. The Wheaton Iceman earned All-America accolades for the second straight season, and he was the recipient of the inaugural Chicago Tribune Silver Football Award, which was given to the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player. He also received the Frank A. Toomey Trophy by the Veteran Athletes of Philadelphia, which was awarded to the national player of the year and served as a precursor to the Heisman Trophy.
With an already impressive resume heading into the 1925 season, Grange added to his legacy in a showdown with undefeated Penn. The Illini entered the contest with a 1-3 record, and the undesirable field conditions proved to be another hurdle for Illinois, who was considered to be a massive underdog while playing away from home.
Ankle-deep mud proved no match for Grange, though, as he recorded three rushing touchdowns and a career-high 237 yards in a 24-2 Illini upset win.
Concluding his college career against Ohio State on Nov. 21, 1925, Grange accumulated 388 carries, 2,071 rushing yards, and 31 touchdowns over the course of his three-year career.
One of two players in Fighting Illini football program history to earn the honor, Grange's #77 jersey was retired by the University of Illinois in 1925, and he began his professional career with the Chicago Bears just 10 days after his final college game. Playing in front of 36,600 fans in what is now known as Wrigley Field, Grange quickly became a national phenom at the professional level and drew in tens of thousands of fans every single game.
After retiring in 1934, Grange was inducted into the inaugural classes of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame in 1951 and 1963, respectively. His #77 jersey was also retired by the Bears organization, one of just 14 players to have earned that honor.Â
Grange was tabbed to the Sporting News All-Time Team, the Big Ten Diamond Anniversary Team, the Walter Camp All-Century Team, and the UI All-Century Team; named the No. 1 Big Ten icon by the Big Ten Network in 2010; and inducted into the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame posthumously (Grange passed away in 1991 at the age of 87) in 2017.
Famed sportswriter Grantland Rice was one of the biggest fans of Grange while the Galloping Ghost played at Illinois, even writing a poem about the legendary #77.
There are shapes now moving,
Two Ghosts that drift and glide,
And which of them to tackle
Each rival must decide.
They shift with spectral swiftness
Across the swarded range,
And one of them's a shadow,
And one of them is Grange.
- Grantland Rice
One of the greatest athletes to ever step foot in Champaign-Urbana, the legend of Red Grange continues to live on throughout the Illinois football program. Despite being one of the most successful and dominant players in college football history, Grange's humility and modesty tell the full story of the Galloping Ghost.
"I played football the only way I know how," Grange said. "If you have the football and 11 guys are after you, if you're smart, you'll run. It was no big deal."
