We are 77 days away from college football kickoff. We are also 11 Saturdays away from the best season of the year. The sad football free Saturdays are flying by just like this countdown. Today we have “Red” Grange, a Fighting Illini and Santana Dotson a Baylor Bear. Be sure to check back tomorrow for #76 in our countdown to kickoff. Enjoy!
Red Grange Days Away From College Football Kickoff
The “Galloping Ghost”
Harold “Red” Grange was known as the miracle man of the 1920s. In his era, Grange was to college football what Babe Ruth was to baseball. He was fast, hard to tackle, and the best open-field runner of his time. Grange started at the University of Illinois in 1922. In his first college game, he scored three touchdowns against Nebraska. He became famous after a standout performance against Michigan on October 18, 1924, when he returned the opening kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown and scored three more touchdowns in the first twelve minutes. Grange also threw for a fifth touchdown in that game. His incredible speed earned him the nickname “The Galloping Ghost”. Grange was a three-time consensus All-American halfback and led Illinois to a national championship in 1923. In 1924, he became the first winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football Award as the Big Ten’s most valuable player. After his final game at Illinois, the school retired his #77.
In 1925, Grange left college early to go pro. He was the first football player to hire an agent and sign a record-breaking contract. As a Chicago Bear, he earned $100,000 plus a share of ticket sales. On Thanksgiving Day, 36,000 fans watched his debut, and just ten days later, 73,000 fans filled the stands. Grange became a national sensation, playing football and appearing in movies and plays. He won two NFL championships (1932-1933), was named First-team All-Pro twice (1930-1931), made the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team, and was listed among the 100 greatest Chicago Bears of all time. Grange played a key role in making the NFL popular and respected. When he retired from the Bears, the team retired his #77.
When Grange’s playing days ended in 1934, George Halas offered him the head coaching job for the Chicago Bears, but Grange turned it down. Instead, he became the backfield coach until 1937. After leaving pro football, Grange worked as a sports announcer and motivational speaker. In the 1950s, he began broadcasting Chicago Bears games for CBS television.
Another Great # 77 Santana Dotson, Baylor
While at Baylor, Santana Dotson earned the title of Southwest Conference newcomer of the year from the Dallas Morning News in 1988. That season, he made 36 tackles and four tackles for loss. Dotson started for the Bears for three years and ended his college career with 193 tackles, 18 sacks, and four forced fumbles. He was named all-conference three times and was a consensus first-team all-American as a senior in 1991, when he recorded 60 tackles, four sacks, and two blocked kicks.
After his junior year, Dotson seriously considered going pro. However, he never regretted coming back for his senior season. “That really made it worth it to come back and be an all-American as a senior,” said Dotson, who was also a Lombardi Award finalist. “The way I figured it, the NFL is always going to be there. But those are times they can’t ever take away from you.”
If a single play could define a career, it would be easy to choose one for former Baylor all-American defensive tackle Santana Dotson. Late in the game on September 14, 1991, in Boulder, Colorado, defending national champion Colorado lined up for a 24-yard field goal that could have increased their lead to 17-13. Dotson, however, stopped them.
The loud “Boom!” came from Dotson blocking Jim Harper’s field goal attempt, sending the ball all the way to the other side of the field, where Baylor teammate Brian Hand recovered it. Jeff Ireland kicked a 35-yard field goal with 51 seconds left, giving Baylor a 16-14 win. Without Dotson’s incredible blocked kick, that victory would not have been possible.
Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.
Main Photo: Fighting Illini dot com
