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Before the end of the 1924 colligate football season Harold "Red" Grange quit the University of Illinois Fighting Illini football team and left to play professional football for the AE Staley Bears, soon to be Chicago Bears, coached by Papa Bear George Halas. Grange left the Fighting Illini so he could play for the Bears on thanksgiving day. Grange said "he was out for the money". He also said "I don't care who knows it". Red's father said: "We are not rolling in wealth".
Yes, he had an agent, CC Pyle. Illinois football coach, Zuppeke was outraged and proclaimed: "The only thing I regret is that he(Grange) will no more graduate from Illinois than will the Kaiser return to power in Germany."
In his last colligate game Grange disposed of tOhio State Buckeyes (who else). The Galloping Ghost ran for 113 yards on 21 carries, caught 9 passes, and intercepted 2 passes in front of a crowd of 85,500 fans; that's more than tOhio State vs any other team this year(2008) except maybe Michigan.
Has any college player left their NCAA team mid season to begin their professional career? And, has anything really changed since 1922...? Grange, obviously, talked to an agent well before the end of his colligate career.
http://books.google.com/books?id=KFDCUPCIU7kC&pg=PA152&lpg=PA152&dq=taylorville+vs+carlinville+1921+football+game&source=web&ots=mR7p2cGYkl&sig=VGV_X_CM53BrJqmalb6qA1v93lE
&hl=en#PPA153,M1
see page 153-154
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