Harold “Red” Grange, nicknamed “The Galloping Ghost,” was a legendary figure and the NFL’s first superstar. A standout halfback at the University of Illinois, Grange was signed by George Halas’ Bears in 1925 to boost the popularity of the team and the NFL. A packed crowd at Wrigley Field in Chicago watched Grange suit up professionally for the first time on Thanksgiving Day in a game against the crosstown Cardinals. Shortly after, Grange played for the Bears against the Giants at New York’s Polo Grounds, which drew more than 70,000 fans. A barnstorming tour of the United States followed with Grange as the main attraction, and the game’s popularity was further elevated. Grange was so popular at one point, Babe Ruth stopped by Grange's hotel room during the tour. In 1926, Grange established and played in the short-lived American Football League, an NFL rival, but he later returned to the Bears and helped them win the 1933 NFL Championship. Grange was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963.