Red Grange Bio And Facts

Red Grange Bio

Harold Grange, most commonly referred to as “Red Grange” or “the Galloping Ghost,” was one of the first-ever stars of American football. Grange is viewed as a legend of football’s early years, similar to the foundational stars of other sports, such Babe Ruth (baseball) and Jack Dempsey (boxing), who dominated in their early eras. Grange stood at roughly 5’11” and weighed 175 pounds, which would be especially light for the running back position in today’s NFL. However, Grange still dominated his competition at the University of Illinois, where he had a few of the greatest individual college games of all time. He then got signed by the Bears (there was no NFL draft back then) and continued dominating, all while attracting huge crowds for the team.

Grange had his prime playing years in the NFL cut short by a bad knee injury in 1927 (only two years into his career) and was never the same player after that. Even with his NFL career not turning out as dominant as his time in college football, Grange is still viewed as a football icon who helped make the game and the NFL much more popular.

• Birthday: June 13, 1903
• Education: University of Illinois
• Occupation: Football Player
• Height: 5’11” (1.803 m)
• Weight: 175 lbs (79.38 kg)
• Position: Halfback, Cornerback
• Years Active: 1925-1934 (9 years)
• Nicknames: “Red Grange,” “The Galloping Ghost”
• Teams: Chicago Bears, New York Yankees (Football)

Football Career

In the 1920s, American football was still in its infancy. It was 40 years before the AFL-NFL merger, and football was mainly popular in the college ranks. However, many of the great college players didn’t go on to play professional football. Harold Grange, one of the most popular college football players, decided to join the Chicago Bears after owner George Halas convinced him. Grange was an immediate ticket seller, and 10 days after his last college game, 36,600 people came to Cubs Park (Wrigley Field) to watch him play. Grange’s agent, C. C. “Cash and Carry” Pyle, and Bears owners Halas and Sternaman then took the Bears and Grange on a tour of the country.

After this, in 1926, Grange and the Bears couldn't agree on a contract. So Pyle started the American Football League, with a team in New York called the Yankees that featured Grange. While the Yankees had some success, the rest of the league failed, and Grange went back to the Bears to finish his career from 1929 to 1934, where he won two NFL Championships.

Titles and Awards

Red Grange played football decades before the NFL as we know it today was formed, so when it comes to titles and awards, not many existed for Grange to earn. At the college level, Grange was a three-time first-team All-American, and was widely considered one of the best ever college players.

In his second stint with the Bears in the NFL, Grange did win some titles and awards. In both 1930 and 1931, Grange was a first-team All-Pro with the Bears. Additionally, towards the end of his career, Grange won two NFL Championships with the Chicago Bears in 1932 and 1933. The 1932 championship was based upon record in the league, while the 1933 season actually had a playoffs.

Overall, while Grange may not have as many titles and awards as great players have today, his impact was still great. He helped make football a more popular sport around the country, and packed stadiums unlike any other football star of the time.

Personal Life

Harold “Red” Grange was born on June 13th, 1903, in Forksville, Pennsylvania. Grange’s mother died when he was five, after which his father, Lyle, a foreman for a lumber company, moved the family to Wheaton, Illinois. Once Grange got to high school, he became a star in baseball, basketball, football, and track and field. After his career ended in 1934 with the Bears, Grange worked in the insurance business.

After his football career was over, he met his wife Margaret, nicknamed Muggs, who was a flight attendant on a flight he took. They married in 1941 and lived together until his death. The couple had no children together during their marriage. Grange also came back to football many years later, working as an analyst for the Chicago Bears and in college football up until 1963. In his later years, Grange also developed Parkinson’s Disease, which was a large factor in his death. Harold Grange died on January 28, 1991 in Lake Wales, Florida, at the age of 87.

Fun Facts

• Red Grange was a four-sport athlete in high school and wanted to compete in basketball and track in college. However, some fraternity brothers convinced him otherwise, and Grange went on to play football.
• During the summers in high school, Grange worked as a helper on an ice truck, which gave him the nickname “the Wheaton Iceman” in high school.
• Red Grange played as both a halfback and cornerback in his later years with the Bears. In the 1933 NFL championship game, he saved the game with a touchdown-saving tackle in the final seconds.
• During the 1920s, Grange was in two films and a movie serial called “The Galloping Ghost.”
• During Red Grange’s era, most players played multiple positions on both offense and defense in football.
• Grange was a charter member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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