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Taking Names and Keeping Score
Consequently, I thought this week might be a good time to tell you about the fabled "Galloping Ghost" of football. For some of you, who are older than I am, the legend of this football ghost will be very familiar to you and in some cases might be one you grew up reading about in the daily newspapers. For many of you who are generally in my age bracket the story of "The Galloping Ghost" is one you might know a little about if you are a true football fan or a historian of the sport. The majority of you however probably know very little if anything about the ghost. As almost anyone will tell you, the best Ghost stories are those that someone actually believes are real and ones that the storyteller can present in a way that will convince the listener they are real whether they believe in ghosts or not. In most cases the story involves a creature that is elusive and is considered uncatchable. It is almost always about someone or something that knows no barriers but has the ability to penetrate or escape from any form of confinement. For those to whom the ghost's appearance is reported as a frequent occurrence the only way to describe the encounters is haunting. Like any good ghost story then, is the legend of Harold "Red" Grange dubbed "The Galloping Ghost" by renowned sports writer Grantland Rice. Grange who was an outstanding running back for the University of Illinois in the seasons of 1923, 1924 and 1925 is arguably one of the greatest football players to ever play in the college ranks and later in the NFL. In a poll conducted by the Associated Press in 1950 among 391 sports writers and broadcasters across the United States to determine the best football player of the first half of the century, Grange finished second with l3~ votes led only by Jim Thorpe who many consider to be the greatest athlete of all time. Known best for his speed, elusiveness and ability to escape the direst circumstances Grange was a defensive players' nightmare. Many a defender who thought they had Grange within their grasp would later emerge from the ground and after clearing the grass and dirt from their mouth, declare that Grange indeed must be a Ghost. In his storied career at both the University of Illinois and later with the Chicago Bears, Grange ran pell-mell around and through defenses in game after game, seemingly setting records on every hand and running up offensive numbers that would haunt the defenses he exploited long after he had moved on. In one such game and by some accounts possibly his best single game performance of his career, Grange and his 1924 Illini teammates were playing the undefeated Michigan Wolverines who were not only undefeated to that point in 1924 but who hadn't tasted defeat since 1921. Coming into the game, which was played before 66,609 fans at the University of Illinois' new stadium, the highly favored Wolverines looked to be formidable. Showing very little respect for Grange the Wolverines rather than keeping the opening kick away from him deliberately kicked it to him, to put "The Galloping Ghost" in his place, as one writer put it. Taking the ball in at the five Grange sidestepped, dodged and outran the entire Michigan team on his way to the first of five touchdowns he ran for during the game. In addition to those five touchdowns he passed for another making six his total touchdown contribution for the day. Along with his scoring he gained 402 yards in the 21 times he carried the ball and completed six passes on the day. It was performances like that one that inspired his college Coach Bob Zuppke to say "I will never have another Grange but neither will anyone else. They can argue all they like about the greatest player that ever lived. I'm satisfied I had him when I had Grange" A bold statement coming from a man that once said "My definition of an All-American is a player who has weak opposition and a poet in the press box." It goes without saying that to many defensive football players that crossed his path, Grange being labeled "The Galloping Ghost" was ver appropriate. What I wonder is if there was ever a time when a frustrated tackler ever pondered whether Harold "Red" Grange could really have been a ghost or was a mere mortal with ghost like tendencies. Until next time..................be safe!
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