Illinois Football: The 30 greatest Illini players of all time
You can argue the rest of this list, but the one name you can’t argue is Harold “Red” Grange. He has earned the No. 1 ranking for his impressive accomplishments on the football field.
Grange was born in Forksville, Pennsylvania but moved to Wheaton, Illinois as a kid. This is where Grange got his start in football. He started his football career with Wheaton High School as a small defensive end. He was put in as the kick returner toward the end of the season and Grange returned the kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown.
During his sophomore season in high school, Grange was moved to running back and was spectacular. He ended the season with 15 touchdowns. He then ran for 33 touchdowns during his junior campaign with the highlight game being against Batavia where he ran the ball 21 times for 500 yards.
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Grange’s abilities became known nationwide. His first interest in college was to play football for Michigan. That couldn’t happen because of the cost of out-of-state tuition. Illinois head coach Robert Zuppke then approached Grange with an offer to come play for the Illini.
The time Grange spent at Illinois was legendary. He was a three-time consensus All-American in 1923, 1924 and 1925. He is one of two players to have their jersey number retired, 77, for the Illini.
During Grange’s time with the Illini, the program won the 1923 Big Ten and National Championships. The team was 19-4-1 in the three seasons while he was in Champaign.
And the day Memorial Stadium was dedicated, Grange had his famous showing against Michigan. He ran for a 95-yard, 67-yard, 56-yard and 44-yard touchdowns in the first quarter against the Wolverines. He ran for a fifth touchdown in the second half and threw another touchdown as well in the 39-17 win.
Next. Illini tab Brandon Peters as starter for game one. dark
“The Galloping Ghost” nickname soon followed this great performance. Grange is a legend not just at Illinois but in the entire sports world. He has earned the No. 1 spot on this list.