Harold "Red" Grange Biography

1903-1991

American football player

Harold "Red" Grange's legacy has truly stood the test of time. More than three quarters of a century after his famous four touchdowns in twelve minutes against the University of Michigan in 1925, he is remembered as one of the greatest college football players in the history of the sport. He is remembered equally for his contributions to professional football, not just for his skills on the field, but for his single-handed ability to bring previously unparalleled popularity and respect to the game. After Grange signed on with the Chicago Bears one day after his last college game, crowds at National Football League (NFL) games swelled. Grange became one of the first professional athletes to enter into endorsement deals and even starred in motion pictures, setting the stage for the cult of personality that surrounds sports stars today. For his contributions to the game, Grange was named as a charter member to both the college and professional football halls of fame.

SELECTED WRITINGS BY GRANGE:

(As told to Ira Morton) The Red Grange Story: An Autobiography, University of Illinois Press, 1993.