Red Grange

High school

Wheaton Community High School

College

University of Illinois

Pro team(s)

Chicago Bears, New York Yankees (NFL)

Hall of Fame

⭐ Pro Football Hall of Fame

Harold "Red" Grange grew up in Wheaton, Illinois (after moving from Pennsylvania as a child) and starred at Wheaton Community High School before becoming the most celebrated player of the early college football era at the University of Illinois. "The Galloping Ghost" was a three-time All-American whose 1924 season cemented his legend. When he signed with the Chicago Bears immediately after his final college game in 1925, his barnstorming tour with the team drew massive crowds and essentially legitimized professional football. Grange was part of the inaugural Pro Football Hall of Fame class in 1963.