Injured Illini Hero
December 5, 2012
Years ago the University of Illinois was playing its cross-state rival, the University of Chicago. Due to injuries, the Illini moved one of their linemen, a guy named Harold, to halfback.
Late in the game, with Illinois down 14-10, they handed the ball off to Harold. He broke into the secondary and was racing for the end zone when he got clotheslined by a Chicago safety who had snuck in a machete (the Big Ten was a pretty dirty league back then). The clothesline was so bad that Harold actually got decapitated.
In spite of his head being chopped off, Harold still ran to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown on a legendary carry, then passed away.
That's how ginger-haired running back Harold "Red" Grange, ole '77, became known as "The Galloping Ghost".
And now you know the rest of the story.