Five years after the founding of the NFL, on Thanksgiving Day in 1925, the league’s first star, Harold “Red" Grange, took the field in front of a sellout crowd at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Just four days earlier, Grange – a star halfback at the University of Illinois known as “The Galloping Ghost” – had signed with the George Halas-coached Bears. Now, Grange was suiting up as a professional against the 8-1-1 Chicago Cardinals, in a young league starved for publicity. In the game, Grange returned punts for 56 yards, had 92 yards from scrimmage, and intercepted a pass on defense; whenever the Bears didn’t involve Grange on a play, the fans booed. The game ended in a scoreless tie, but in the weeks ahead Grange joined the Bears on a barnstorming tour. As the league’s first big-name player, Grange helped make professional football popular in America.