Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost," was a college and professional football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League and he was a charter member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Learn more about the legacy of Harold "Red" Grange

Grange's performance in the Dedication Game of Memorial Stadium on Oct. 18, 1924 stands as perhaps the greatest individual performance in the history of college football. When he scored a total of five touchdowns - including four in the first 12 minutes - against Michigan, Grange became a national sensation and superstar. In 1924, he became the first recipient of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football award denoting the Big Ten's MVP. In 2008, he was named the best college football player of all time by ESPN, and in 2011, he was named the Greatest Big Ten Icon by the Big Ten Network.

Red Grange will forever be a focal point as fans enter Memorial Stadium as former Director of Athletics, Ron Guenther, said the UI had several Illini greats to choose from for the proposed statue when renovations on the stadium began in 2006, but Grange stood out from all others. In 2009, a 12-foot statue of Red Grange was dedicated as the capstone of Memorial Stadium's "Illinois Renaissance" renovations. The bronze statue of Grange sits outside the west side of Memorial Stadium, and was created by sculptor George Lundeen, who earned a master's degree in fine arts at Illinois in 1973. The one-ton statue sits on a 14- to 18-foot base made from the same brick and limestone used on Memorial Stadium. While the statue is twice Grange's height, the figure is actually cubed, which makes him eight times bigger than life size. Since its arrival, Illini and visiting fans have been flocking to the statue for photos on game day.