GRANGE, RED

born June 13, 1903, Forksville, Pa., U.S. died Jan. 28, 1991, Lake Wales, Fla. byname of Harold Grange collegiate and professional American football player, a great running back and highly publicized player in American football history. Grange was a star football player at Wheaton High School (Wheaton, Ill.) before entering the University of Illinois in 1922. In 20 varsity games there he scored 31 touchdowns and gained 3,637 yards. On Oct. 19, 1924, as a junior, he scored five touchdowns against the University of Michigan, four in the first 12 minutes of play. His spectacular feats as a running back earned him the nickname of the "Galloping Ghost." Even his football-uniform number, 77, acquired a legendary status. Grange left college in 1925 to play professionally with the Chicago Bears, where his exploits greatly stimulated public interest in professional football. After suffering a knee injury in 1927, however, he was never again a dangerous runner. In his later years with the Bears he played as a defensive back. He retired after the 1934 season and subsequently worked as a sales manager and a radio and television sportscaster.