Harold Edward "Red" Grange (June 13, 1903 – January 28, 1991), nicknamed "the Galloping Ghost" and "the Wheaton Iceman", was an American college and professional football halfback who played for Illinois, the Chicago Bears and the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League (NFL). Grange became a nationally known celebrity in the 1920s and is often cited as one of the most iconic athletes of all time, as well as one of the greatest college football players ever and the biggest star of the early days of the NFL.
Playing college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini, Grange was a three-time consensus All-American and led his team to a national championship in 1923. He was the only unanimous All-American selection in 1924, making him the first player in college football history to receive that honor. The same year, Grange became the first recipient of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football award as the Big Ten Conference's most valuable player.