His name long ago faded into the mist of history, a legend of the game whose complex life story was largely lost amid the hype of his gridiron greatness.
But in The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange, An American Football Legend, author Gary Andrew Poole digs beneath the surface to present a compelling and fascinating look at the rise of an iconic figure from the Roaring '20s, his tragic undoing and — surprisingly — his profound influence on the sport today.
Through exhaustive research and interviewing, Poole does more than paint a vivid picture of a golden age of American culture. He illustrates how the accomplishments of Harold "Red" Grange permeate professional football today. And when Super Bowl XLIII kicks off at 6:28 p.m. today in Tampa, the most-watched event on the planet can trace a meaningful part of its genealogy — as Poole lays out with well-crafted prose — to gifted ballcarrier and lonely hero Grange.
Indeed, Grange is more than just a familiar name from bygone days. His larger-than-life persona as a star at the University of Illinois in the early 1920s helped infuse the disrespected pro version of the sport with credibility — and a previously unseen entertainment dynamic — that helped the fledgling National Football League take an important step in its evolution.
But Grange didn't do it alone.
The central aspect of Poole's book is the light it casts on the unusual business partnership between Grange and his manager, a wheeler-dealer entrepreneur named Charles "C.C." Pyle, who became, in his own way, America's first super sports agent. The author brings both men to life in rich historical detail and reveals how Pyle, a smooth-operating movie theater owner in Grange's hometown of Wheaton, Ill., saw the young star as a ticket to fame and fortune.
The plain-spoken Grange was busy forging his reputation as the best player in college football, inspiring poetic accounts by sportswriting giants such as Grantland Rice and Damon Runyan — the latter once waxing, "This man 'Red' Grange of Illinois is three or four men and a horse rolled into one for football purposes. He is Jack Dempsey, Babe Ruth, Al Jolson, Paavo Nurmi and Man o' War. Put them together and they spell Grange."
At the same time, Pyle was imagining the gold mine that Grange could make them by doing the unthinkable after college — turning pro and playing for George Halas' ragtag Chicago Bears. Back then, pro ball was widely viewed with contempt, a sleazy offshoot of the noble collegiate game.
In calculating fashion, Pyle built his friendship with Grange and, when the time was right, summoned him to lay out his vision.
Pyle's scheme called for a grueling national barnstorming tour (including a Tampa stop) with an inhumane 19 games in 67 days.
The tour's massive gate receipts made Pyle and Grange wealthy. It made Grange the most famous athlete of his day for a time — with even the Babe paying him visits.
But it also extracted a heavy toll. Grange became isolated, unable to go out for a bite to eat without being mobbed by adoring crowds. He also paid a steep physical price, dealing with injuries that would permanently undercut his rare athletic ability.
But, as Poole underscores, the exposure helped give the NFL an enormous boost at a critical time in its development. When Pyle had a falling out with Halas, he took Grange and formed the "outlaw" American Professional Football League. But the gimpy star could no longer live up to his billing, and the league quickly folded, leaving Pyle and his marquee act broke and beset with lawsuits.
Still, the league had a huge influence on the NFL, which was forced to find its own name acts. Writes Poole: "Pyle had shown NFL owners that they couldn't just put a team on the field and expect people to show up. Teams needed stars, and Pyle provided a blueprint for box office success. It was all entertainment. Red Grange was an entertainer."
Grange never wanted to be the superstar Pyle created — he just wanted to play football. And he eventually made his peace with Halas and rejoined the Bears as a shadow of himself.
Still, the shadow cast today by the Galloping Ghost remains a formidable one — even if it's hard to see through the mist of time and the megahype of one more Super Bowl Sunday.
Dave Scheiber is a sports writer at the St. Petersburg Times and co-author of "Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob."
The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange, an American Football Legend
By Gary Andrew Poole
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 336 pages, $25
The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange, an American Football Legend
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