More from "The Galloping Ghost"

Red Grange's autobiography, "The Red Grange Story" (1953), describes his adventure making the freshman football squad at the University of Illinois in 1922.

The first day I reported for practice,  I took a look at some one hundred and fifty beefy candidates for the freshman team and became all the more convinced I didn't belong. Without even putting on a uniform, I went back to the fraternity house and complained. "What chance do I have against those guys?" My protests met only with a deaf ear and the threat of a paddling. Under the circumstances, I decided it would be wise to at least give it a try...

Before a week had passed, the squad was culled down to sixty. It was hard for me to believe I was not only still around, but put on the first-string team. The backfield in that number-one line-up included Ralph "Moon" Baker at quarterback, Earl Britton at fullback, Paul Cook at right halfback and myself at left halfback...

It is an accepted fact that the 1922 freshman team was one of the strongest Illinois has ever had. Two members of that squad besides myself subsequently became All-Americans. Ralph "Moon" Baker gained his honors at Northwestern where he transferred after his freshman year. Tackle Frank Wickhorst,  who also left after his freshman year, went on to become an All-American at Annapolis.