Chris Willis - Red Grange: The Life and Legacy of the Nfl’s First Superstar

Chris Willis has worked at NFL Films as head of the Research Library since 1996. His first book, Old Leather: An Oral History of Early Pro Football in Ohio, 19201935, was published in 2005, by Scarecrow Press. His second book, The Columbus Panhandles: A Complete History of Pro Footballs Toughest Team, 19001922, was published by Scarecrow Press in 2007. His third book, The Man Who Built the National Football League: Joe F. Carr, was published in 2010, also by Scarecrow. Williss fourth title, Dutch Clark: The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions, was released in 2012. Rowman & Littlefield published Williss next two books: A Nearly Perfect Season: The Inside Story of the 1984 San Francisco 49ers (2014) and Walter Lingo, Jim Thorpe, and the Oorang Indians: How a Dog Kennel Owner Created the NFLs Most Famous Traveling Team (2017).

As the resident historian at NFL Films, Willis helps oversees all aspects of research for the company and their producers. In 2002, he was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the HBO documentary The Game of Their Lives: Pro Football in the 1950s. Willis won an Emmy in 2016 for his work on HBOs Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Houston Texans.

Before starting at NFL Films, he graduated with a B.S. in physical education from Urbana (Ohio) Universitywhile playing four years on the Urbana football teamand attended one year of graduate school at The Ohio State University, studying sports history. Willis is a native of Columbus, Ohio, and currently resides in Audubon, New Jersey.

M ore than 20 years ago, I really started researching the life of Harold Red Grange, and after completing this manuscript, I still feel I dont have enough words to thank the people who helped me in finishing this book. First and foremost, I want to thank the entire Grange family for their support and generosity. I am extremely indebted to Dorothy Flora, niece of Margaret and Red Grange, for answering my questions about her aunt and uncle, and allowing me to use photos from their collection. Im also indebted to Linda Thomas, another niece; thank you for taking the time to do an interview with me. Every Grange family member went beyond my expectations, so thank you very much.

Once again, I want to thank the great people at Rowman & Littlefield for believing in preserving the history of professional football. I worked with Stephen Ryan on my first couple of books, and now with Christen Karniski, acquisitions editor. Thank you so much for helping put this book together; you always make the final product better. I also want to thank the rest of the staff at R&L; it is always a joy to work with you, and theres no other publisher I want to work with.

As with my previous projects, my favorite place to visit and do research is the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. I want to thank the staff at the HallPete Fierle, Saleem Choudhry, Jason Aikens, and, especially in the research library, Jon Kendlefor all your help. You guys are the best at what you do. Thank you. I also want to thank Joe Horrigan, vice president of Communications-Exhibits, for your support during the past two decades, I really appreciate it.

An extra thank you goes to Melanie Norton, town historian, who showed me around Forksville, Pennsylvania, Reds birthplace, and helped with my research at the Sullivan County Historical Museum. Seeing Reds boyhood home and historical marker was priceless.

I dont know if I can thank him enough, but Joe Ziemba did more for me than anyone I know. Going through a decades worth of Chicago newspapers to get me everything I needed about Grange, he never failed to deliver. I owe you a lot. Thanks!

Another big thank you goes to Pam Powers, who allowed me to stay at her home outside of Chicago while I did two weeks of research at Wheaton and in the Windy City. I owe you a huge debt of gratitude for your hospitality. Also, thanks to your son Erik, who works with me at NFL Films, for contacting you.

I owe a big debt of thanks to Marilyn Coolley-Carley, daughter of Marion F. Coolley, one of Reds college friends and his former manager during the famous barnstorming tour of 19251926. Thanks for talking to me about your father and showing me the family archives during my trip to Champaign, Illinois. Viewing your collection of contracts and photos was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me as a football historian. I thank you for allowing me to use them for this book. My time spent at the FedEx officehoursmaking scans and copies was well worth it. So, thanks! Also, thanks to your daughter, K. C., and your grandson, Nico, for their help.

A huge thank you goes to the staff at Buswell Library on the campus of Wheaton College. The special collections there houses the Red Grange Papers. I got great guidance from Sara Stanley, Katherine Graber (who helped tremendously with my scanning requests, which numbered more than 1,200 scans), and especially Keith Call, who also allowed me to transfer footage of Reds 1978 homecoming visit, which hadnt been seen for 40 years. I thank you all. You made this book better with your help.

Thank you to the staff at the Wheaton Public Library, especially Meghan, Christine, and Donna Freymark (local history). Also, thanks to Chip Krueger, local historian, for his help with the Wheaton High School yearbooks. Kudos to DuPage County Historical Museum (Morgan Valenzuela, Michelle Podkowa) for your help, too.

I would like to thank the University of Illinois athletic department for its generosity in helping with my research, especially Kent Brown (associate director of athletics, media relations) for allowing me to go through material in the archives, as well as for giving me a tour of the stadium and the Red Grange Rock. It was a day Ill always remember. Thanks to Chad Beyler for making copies and scans for me, and thanks also to Ron Guenther, former Illinois athletic director, for talking to me about Red.

I want to give a big thank you to three men who shared one of the most important stories concerning the final resting place of Red Grangewhose ashes are spread out at the Red Grange Rock at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois. Thank you so much Mike Pearson (former Illinois sports information director), Dana Brenner (former athletics associate director), and the late Patrick Hayes (former Illinois alumni director) for sharing with me such a special and poignant story. Thanks also for your additional insights on your time visiting Red and hosting Margarets 1994 visit to campus.

Also, thanks to the staff at the University of Illinois ArchivesLinda Stahnke and Anna Trammell, as well as Geoff Ross and Glen Martin (newspapers, microfilm)who went beyond the call to provide me with the material I requested and made my week there very productive.

A big thank you goes to the staff at Wheaton Warrenville-South High School, who now holds the legacy of Red Granges high school career. Thank you Dave Claypool (principal), Janet Luckey (secretary), Linda Verstein (staff), and Matthew Stellwagen (assistant athletic director) for helping me with research during my visit to the school. Moreover, thanks to coach Ron Muhitch for spending some time talking to me and showing me around the football stadium and school. I could definitely feel the spirit of Red Grange. Lastly, thanks to John Thorne, former head football coach at Wheaton Central, for his insights on preserving Reds legacy in Wheaton. Another thank you goes to Chuck Baker, former principal at Wheaton Central, for telling me about your history with Red, and especially Margaret Grange. Kudos to the football staff at College of DuPage for establishing the Red Grange Bowl to honor the countys greatest football player and to Matt Foster (head coach, assistant athletic director) and Kevin Willman (multimedia producer/director), in particular, for carrying on Reds legacy.