The Return of the All-Purpose Back

It's been almost thirty years since Harold "Red" Grange last toted the pigskin for Illinois, but Illini still talk about the "Ghost" and how he galloped.

The gallop is what sports fans remember best, but Grange was one of the greatest all-around players the game of football has ever known. And this year as college coaches struggle through their first single-platoon season in over a decade, the scouts are searching the high school gridirons of the nation for backs who can not only run and pass -- but kick, tackle and block passes as well.

The new NCAA substitution rule restricts a withdrawn player from returning to the game in the same quarter, except during the last four minutes of each half. While eliminating the two-platoon system, this is liberal compared to the rules Grange played under. In those days, players often competed the full sixty minutes.

Besides Grange's phenomenal running ability, he developed into one of the best passers in the Big 10. Red was an unusually good kicker, and Coach Bob Zupke used him for surprise punts when Illinois found themselves in a hole. At Wheaton High, Red set a record with thirty consecutive points after touchdown, and once kicked nine field goals in a single game.

Illinois line coach Burt Ingwersen remembers Red's defensive play as something very special too. "He had an uncanny knack for sensing what the opposing team was going to do," Ingwersen recalls, "and his pass interference rates with the very best. I remember a game against Northwestern back in '24. The Wildcats were deep in Illinois territory. Grange intercepted a pass on his own 10 yard line, then zig-zagged his way through the entire Northwestern team for a 90 yard touchdown."

When Red first went out for All-Purpose back --continued football at Illinois, Ingwersen was the freshman coach. Red took one look at the nearly 200 candidates and decided the competition was too tough for him. His fraternity brothers disagreed, and they chased him out onto the practice field with their initiation paddles.

By the end of his freshman season, Illinois' coaches knew they had a great ball player, but they didn't yet know how great. Grange played halfback for the varsity in '23 and '24 and won All-American honors in that position both years. In '25 Illinois lost quarterback Harry Hall and Grange was versatile enough to step into that position and capture All-American honors again.

In his first varsity season, Grange scored in each of the seven games for a total of twelve touchdowns. In 1924, his scoring jumped to thirteen touchdowns in just six games. As a quarterback in his final year, Red ran up as much yardage as ever, but his touchdowns dropped to six. But then, no one scored many points in 1925 -- it was commonly referred to as "the year of the big mud."

Nearly all of Red's games were thrillers, but the Michigan game of 1924 was probably the most exciting afternoon in football history.

It was really a contest for the Big 10 championship of the previous season. Both teams had gone undefeated in '23, but had not been scheduled to play one another. Michigan's Wolverines were riding a winning streak that went back to 1921, and they were confident about taking both Illinois and the Big 10 crown.

When Michigan coach Fielding "Hurry Up" Yost was asked about Grange, he retorted. "We've eleven good tacklers on this team. We'll stop him." Yost had good reason for confidence. His Wolverines were a rugged, scrappy bunch, and their captain, Herb Steger, had never played on a losing team.

This day was Illinois' Homecoming, this was the dedication game for the newly completed two million dollar Memorial Stadium, and excitement was at fever pitch. It doubled when the Fighting Illini came onto the field. Coach Yost looked, then looked again. The Illini were bare-legged.

It was an unusually warm October afternoon and Bob Zupke had ordered his team to strip off their long, woolen stockings for comfort. This is common practice today, but was unheard of in 1924. Yost suspected a trick, and insisted on feeling each player's legs to make certain they weren't greased to make tackling difficult.

Michigan won the toss and elected to kick. This was considered "good football" in those days, the theory being: kick deep into your opponent's territory, hold them there and force them to punt, take their boot at midfield, and go back into their territory to score.

Michigan captain Herb Steger kicked a long, low ball down the center of the field. Grange took it on the 5 like an outfielder spearing a knee-high drive, then moved to his right. Before the Wolverines could close in, the Ghost was past them. At midfield he met Herb Steger. Another phantom motion and he was in the clear, galloping to a 95 yard touchdown. Twelve seconds after the opening whistle, Red Grange had crossed the goal line standing up. Memorial Stadium went wild.

Following an exchange of punts, Illinois hit right guard for a yard. Then Red stepped around left end, cut back, and raced 66 yards for a second score.

After another punt exchange, Red got his hands on the ball for the fourth time, and again he romped through the Michigan eleven -- this time 55 yards for Illinois touchdown number three. The Wolverines were stunned. Yost shook his head from side to side. Red Grange's legs were greased -- with lightning.

Feeling, however, that lightning would not, and could not strike again for a fourth time in the very same spot, on the very same afternoon, Michigan again elected to kick. But to make absolutely certain, Steger booted the ball into the end zone.

After an exchange of fumbles, Illinois took over on Michigan's 44. On the first play from scrimmage, Red went around right end, sucked the Wolverine secondary to that side, cut back to mid-field, and rambled on to the goal line. The score, Grange -- 26, Michigan -- 0. At this point, Zupke took Red out of the game for a rest, and the 67,000 spectators, realizing they had just witnessed the most spectacular twelve minutes in football history, let go an ovation that rocked the new stadium to its foundation and, it's said, broke windows on the south side of Chicago, 150 miles away.

While Grange sat on the bench in the second quarter, Michigan struck back for two touchdowns. Red returned to the game in the third period and ran 15 yards through tackle for Illinois touchdown number five. In the final period, he threw a 20 yard pass to Benny Leonard for the final Illini score. In leading the assault on mighty Michigan, Red Grange carried the ball twenty-one times for 402 yards, and completed six passes for 64 more. When the dust had cleared away, the unbeaten Wolverines had been humbled 39 to 14, and Harold "Red" Grange was on his way to football immortality.

In the grueling grid warfare of the twenties, Illinois' opponents tried in every possible way to "Stop Grange!" Coaches plotted special defenses and had their teams "up" for their battles with the Fighting Illini, but Grange ran on and on.

Coaches like Illinois' Burt Ingwersen regret the death of the two-platoon game, because "not as many of the boys will get to play." But Ingwersen does feel the new rule will help football return to the exciting era of the all-around gridiron athlete. And as he speaks, we imagine the Ghost galloping off towards another distant goal line.