Grange Statue
Naming Opportunity: $500,000
Ask people to name the historical figure most closely linked to the proud tradition of Illinois football and you will receive a veritable who’s-who of gridiron lore: Butkus … Zuppke … Nitschke … Eliot. But one name will most likely surface more than the rest: Red Grange. The Galloping Ghost. Number 77. From his athletic feats on the football field to his humility and kindness away from it, Red Grange personified the history and tradition of Illinois football. One of only two players in Fighting Illini football history to have his number retired, Grange will be memorialized with a twelve-foot bronze statue, commissioned by the University specially for the renovation project. Once completed, the Ghost will greet fans entering via the stadium’s west side, his proud visage reminding the Illini Nation of its glorious heritage.
