Download or read book Red Grange written by Chris Willis and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-08-09 with total page 521 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In celebration of the National Football League’s 100th season, noted football historian Chris Willis brings to life the story of Red Grange, the nation’s first NFL star, in this definitive biography. Harold “Red” Grange became a national sensation as a junior halfback at the University of Illinois in the 1920s. He quickly joined other great athletes of the Roaring Twenties such as Bobby Jones, Jack Dempsey, and Babe Ruth in enthralling audiences on the radio and in newspapers on a daily basis. A year later the "Galloping Ghost" stunned the country by dropping out of school after his last collegiate game and going pro with the six year old NFL, signing with the Chicago Bears. In Red Grange: The Life and Legacy of the NFL’s First Superstar, Chris Willis tells the remarkable story of a humble football player who rose to fame in the 1920s and became an icon. With unlimited access and complete cooperation of the Grange family, Willis offers new insight into Grange’s rags-to-riches story, including details about his tomboy mother who died when Grange was six years old and never-before-published information on Grange’s barnstorming tour with the Chicago Bears that instantly gave credibility to the fledgling NFL. With over fifty original interviews, personal letters to and from Grange, and more than forty photos, this definitive biography reveals in intimate detail the life of a sports pioneer. Whether as a player, coach, broadcaster, pitchman, Hall of Famer, ambassador, or icon, Red Grange was, and still is, the face of the early NFL and one of the greatest athletes of all-time.
Download or read book Red Grange and the Rise of Modern Football written by John Martin Carroll and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is an element in understanding football's central place in American culture.
Download or read book The Red Grange Story written by Red Grange and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 1953 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Red Grange stood with Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey in the 1920s as the most heralded figures in America's "Golden Age of Sport." Grantland Rice immortalized Grange in rhyme as "The Galloping Ghost" and named him and Jim Thorpe the halfbacks on his all-time college team. In 1991, when Sports Illustrated published its first special issue celebrating "yesterday's heroes, " Red Grange, "An Original Superstar, " was featured on the cover. A three-time All-American at the University of Illinois in 1923-25, Grange scored 31 touchdowns and ran for 3,637 yards in three eight-game seasons. In 1924 he gave what many consider to be the greatest single-game performance in the history of college football. Playing before 67,000 fans on the dedication day of Illinois' new Memorial Stadium, Grange scored four touchdowns in the first twelve minutes of play, ran for a fifth touchdown in the third quarter, and passed for a sixth touchdown in the final period. When Grange joined the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day 1925, five days after his last college game, it marked the turning point for professional football. His enormous popularity and drawing power became the force that was to transform the NFL into a major sports attraction. This is the first paperback edition of Grange's autobiography, originally published in 1953 and praised by Robert Cromie of the Chicago Tribune as "the literary equivalent of a perfectly planned and executed touchdown march." Illustrated with more than a dozen photographs, it includes a new introduction and afterword by Ira Morton.
Download or read book Monster of the Midway written by Jim Dent and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2013-09-24 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jim Dent's Monster of the Midway is the story of football's fiercest competitor, the legendary Bronko Nagurski. From his discovery in the middle of a Minnesota field to his 1943 comeback season at Wrigley, from the University of Minnesota to the Hall of Fame, Bronko Nagurksi's life is a story of grit, hard work, passion, and, above all, an unstoppable drive to win. Monster of the Midway recounts Nagurski's unparalleled triumphs during the 1930s and '40s, when the Chicago Bears were the kings of professional football. From 1930, the Bronk's first year, through 1943, his last, the Bears won five NFL titles and played in four other NFL Championship Games. Focusing on Nagurski's 1943 comeback season, and how he miraculously led the Bears to their fourth NFL championship against the backdrop of World War II era Chicago, Jim Dent uncovers the riveting drama of Nagurski's playing days. His efforts were the stuff of legend, and his success in 1943 accomplished in spite of a battered frame, worn-out knees, multiple cracked ribs, and a broken bone in his lower back. While chronicling the drama of the '43 championship chase, Dent also tells of both the Bears' colorful early years and Bronko's improbable rise to fame from the backwoods of northern Minnesota. Woven into the narrative are the sights and smells and sounds of one of the most romantic, flavorful eras of the twentieth century. And laced through it all are stories of legend: Bronko rubbing shoulders with colorful characters like George Halas, Red Grange, Sid Luckman, and Sammy Baugh; Bronko running into (and breaking) the brick wall at Wrigley Field; Bronko winning All-American spots for two positions; Bronko knocking scores of opponents unconscious; and Bronko reaching the heights of football glory and, with rare grace, turning his back on the game after winning his last championship. Rich in unforgettable stories and scenes, this is Jim Dent's account of Bronko Nagurski-arguably the greatest football player who ever lived-and his teammates, the roughest, toughest, rowdiest group of players ever to don leather helmets, and the original Monsters of the Midway.
Download or read book Dutch Clark written by Chris Willis and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Dutch Clark: The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions, Chris Willis tells the remarkable story of an athlete from a small town in Colorado who would become one of the NFL's greatest players. Throughout his seven-year NFL career (1931-1932, 1934-1938), quarterback Dutch Clark was selected first team NFL All-Pro six times, led the league in scoring three times, was team captain of the Detroit Lions, and helped the Lions win the 1935 NFL Championship in just their second season in Detroit. Supplemented with archival interviews, never-before-seen photos, newspaper quotes, and anecdotes, Dutch Clark tells the rags-to-riches story of one of the NFL's first stars.
Download or read book Then Ditka Said to Payton written by Dan Jiggetts and published by Triumph Books. This book was released on 2008-09-01 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written for every sports fan who follows the Bears, this account goes behind the scenes to peek into the private world of the players, coaches, and decision makers—all while eavesdropping on their personal conversations. From the Chicago locker room to the sidelines and inside the huddle, the book includes stories about Dick Butkus, Red Grange, George Halas, Walter Payton, and Gale Sayers, among others, allowing readers to relive the highlights and the celebrations.
Download or read book Where Passion Lives written by Dean Hawthorne and published by . This book was released on 2021-08-18 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unforgettable story from debut author Dean C. Hawthorne filled with college football history, the fun and the trouble spots in today's game and tantalizing "what ifs" to keep college football fans engrossed and entertained for hours.
Download or read book Dusty Deek and Mr Do Right written by Taylor Bell and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From small towns like Metamora, Aledo, and Carthage to East St. Louis and Chicago's South Side, Illinois's high school football fields have been the proving ground for such future stars as Dick Butkus, Red Grange, and Otto Graham. In Dusty, Deek, and Mr. Do-Right, longtime fan and sportswriter Taylor Bell shares the stories of the greatest players, toughest coaches, most memorable games, and fiercest rivalries in Illinois history. Drawing on dozens of personal interviews, Bell profiles memorable figures such as Tuscola's record-setting quarterback Dusty Burk, Pittsfield's brutally demanding yet devoted Coach Donald "Deek" Pollard, and Evanston's Murney "Mr. Do-Right" Lazier, who coached sternly but without prejudice in the racially charged 1960s and '70s. The book also discusses winning programs at schools such as East St. Louis, Mount Carmel, and Joliet Catholic, as well as longstanding rivalries and memorable games in the state playoff and Prep Bowl. The ultimate book for high school football fans in Illinois, Dusty, Deek, and Mr. Do-Right is infused with Bell's own love for the game and illustrated with sixty photographs of the players and coaches who made lifetime memories under the Friday night lights.
Download or read book Chicago Bears written by Lew Freedman and published by Voyageur Press. This book was released on 2008-09-15 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultimate history of the legendary Chicago Bears, from Halas to Hester, with hundreds of photos, stats, and player profiles.
Download or read book Passing Game written by Murray Greenberg and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2008-11-04 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Benny Friedman, the son of working class immigrants in Cleveland's Jewish ghetto, arrived at the University of Michigan and transformed the game of football forever. At the time, in the 1920s, football was a dull, grinding running game, and the forward pass was a desperation measure. Benny would change all of that. In Ann Arbor, the rookie quarterback's passing abilities so eclipsed those of other players that legendary coach Fielding Yost came back from retirement to coach him. The other college teams had no answer for Friedman's passing attack. He then went pro -- an unpopular decision at a time when the NFL was the poor stepchild to college football -- and was equally sensational, eventually signing with the New York Giants for an unprecedented 10,000, bringing fans and attention to the fledgling NFL. Passing Game rediscovers this little-known sports hero and tells the story of Friedman's evolution from upstart to American celebrity, in a vivid narrative that will delight and enlighten football fans of all ages.
Download or read book Outside the Lines written by Charles K. Ross and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the often overlooked role of the NFL in the American civil rights movement Watching a football game on a Sunday evening, most sports fans do not realize the profound impact the National Football League had on the civil rights movement. Similarly, in a sport where seven out of ten players are Black, few are fully aware of the history and contributions of their athletic forebears. Among the touchdowns and tackles lies a rich history of African American life and the struggle to achieve equal rights. Outside the Lines traces how football laid a foundation for social change long before the judicial system formally recognized the inequalities of racial separation. Integrating teams to include white and Black athletes alike fifty years before the reversal of Plessy v Ferguson, the National Football League served as a microcosmic fishbowl of the highs and lows—the trials and triumphs—of racial integration. In this chronicle of the important stories of Black NFL athletes in the early twentieth century, Charles K. Ross has given us an important insight into the role of sports in the fight for racial justice.
Download or read book Fighting Illini Legends Lists and Lore written by Mike Pearson and published by Sports Publishing LLC. This book was released on 2008-11 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In words and photographs, Illini Legends, Lists and Lore allows fans to experience the thrills and drama of University of Illinois athletics history. Each chapter reveals the complete history of the Fighting Illini, including the most memorable athletes and events and a treasure chest of trivia and facts about the university's non-athletic history. Also included is a complete listing of Illinois' more than 7000 letter winners, as well as year-by-year summaries of all of the UI's varsity sports teams and a history of coaches and administrators who have worked behind the scenes.
Download or read book Up from Adams Street written by Larry Crane and published by . This book was released on 2019-06-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The League That Didn t Exist written by Gary Webster and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2018-11-23 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The All-American Football Conference was the only challenger to the NFL (except for the American Football League of the 1960s) to survive more than two seasons in competition with the established league. It ultimately failed to achieve its goal of a peaceful coexistence with the NFL and folded in 1949. Its Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, which were absorbed by the NFL in 1950, are still in business. This book takes a brief look at all of the NFL's challengers (and would-be challengers) from 1926 to 1945. It looks particularly at the All-American Conference, which overcame obstacles that proved too difficult for others and opened the 1946 season with teams on the East Coast, in the Midwest, on the West Coast, and in the deep South, making it a truly "All-American" enterprise. Each season and off-season is examined in detail.
Download or read book From the Gridiron to the Battlefield written by Danny Spewak and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-09-08 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The remarkable story of a championship college football team and the sacrifices the young athletes made when Pearl Harbor forced their country into war. As the United States veered towards war during the fall of 1941, the University of Minnesota football team completed an undefeated national championship season—just fifteen days before the strike on Pearl Harbor. After the attack, players left behind college football stardom to command PT boats in the South Pacific, sweep mines on the beaches of Normandy, and join the invasion of Iwo Jima along with so many others from the Greatest Generation. In From the Gridiron to the Battlefield, Danny Spewak shares the struggles and triumphs of the Golden Gophers’ 1941 season, recalling how players battled on the field even with the threat of war hanging over their heads. When the United States finally entered the war, every member of the team participated in the war effort in one way or another. As Spewak recounts, some players remained stateside in the U.S. Navy, others sailed to the Pacific Theater and faced direct combat at Iwo Jima, while another earned a Purple Heart for his heroism at Normandy. Now more than 80 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, From the Gridiron to the Battlefield reveals the sacrifices and courage of the Greatest Generation through the eyes of the 1941 Golden Gophers.
Download or read book Big League City written by Ken Bowen and published by . This book was released on 2014-06-11 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On November 30th, 1993, Jacksonville, Florida was awarded the NFL's 30th franchise. Local reporters still remember it as the most electric night in city history. Fireworks exploded over the St. Johns River, the party at the Jacksonville Landing lasted until daybreak, and future mayor John Delaney ran through his downtown office shouting "Big League City!" Though many in the national media considered Jacksonville's improbable expansion victory over St. Louis, Oakland, and Baltimore to be one of the greatest upsets in sports history, to locals, it was truly the culmination of their city's century-long love affair with the sport of football. "Big League City! 100 Years of Football in Jacksonville" chronicles Jacksonville's unmatched gridiron fervor, from Florida's first college football game held in the wake of the Great Fire of 1901, to the birth of the Florida-Georgia game and the Gator Bowl Classic, to the numerous professional teams from long-forgotten leagues that have called Jacksonville home, through the new era of Jaguars football currently underway. Years in the making with research drawn from thousands of sources and featuring an exclusive foreword written by Jaguars owner Shad Khan, "Big League City!" is the definitive book on Jacksonville's football history. Included inside: The Great Fire of 1901, Florida's First College Football Game, Early UF, FSU, and UG Football, The Florida-Georgia Game, Jacksonville's All-Stars face off against Red Grange and the Chicago Bears, The Jacksonville Bears, the birth of the Gator Bowl, Jacksonville's "Negro Bowls," The Senior Bowl, The Southern Leagues, The Hotel Roosevelt Fire, The 1968 and 1969 AFL All-Star Games, The 1976 NFL Expansion Race, The WFL's Jacksonville Sharks and Express Express, Colt Fever Night, Jacksonville's USFL Bulls, Bud Adams and the Jacksonville Oilers, The Jacksonville Robins, the 1989 NFL Expansion Race, Touchdown Jacksonville!, Wayne Weaver, the naming of the Jaguars, the War on Charlotte, NFL Now!, The Arena League Tomcats, Building an NFL Stadium, the Miracle Season, Woody Paige vs. Jacksonville and Woody's reflection on his infamous column, Small Market/Big Stadium, Bidding for and receiving Super Bowl XXXIX, The Jacksonville Sharks, The Dixie Blues, Bobby Bowden's Last Game, the LFL Breeze, the Sale of the Jaguars, Shad Khan, and much, much more. What they're saying: ""Ken Bowen's book is indeed about football. But it is also a book about the history of a city, wrapped around a community's love affair with sports and competition. The author tells a wonderful tale, whether or not you are from Jacksonville, or whether or not you are a sports fan. A great read, well researched and well told."" -John Delaney, Mayor of Jacksonville (1995-2003), Architect of the $2.2 Billion Better Jacksonville Plan, President of University of North Florida (2003-Present) ""From the cocktail party to Coughlin, the Bulls to Brunell and the Gator Bowl to Gus, Ken Bowen's book is an interesting read for any football fan in general, and any Jacksonville football fan in particular."" -Ryan O'Halloran, Florida Times-Union ""Ken Bowen's Big League City! 100 Years of Football in Jacksonville is a must read for any sports loving Jaxson. It provides a comprehensive, exciting, and information-filled look at how America's favorite sport and Jacksonville have grown up together over the last century."" -Ennis Davis, author of Reclaiming Jacksonville: Stories Behind the River City's Historic Landmarks and Cohen Brothers: The Big Store ""Big League City! is a MUST read for anyone who loves football and Jacksonville. While I can't confirm or deny the information written about me for 5th Amendment purposes, I can say that I am honored to be a small part of this great city's football history!"" -Curtis "Jaxson De Ville" Dvorak, Jaguars Mascot
Download or read book Gridiron written by Fred Bowen and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stories from 100 years of the NFL, from its scrappy beginnings to its greatest players, coaches, and games.
