College Football Early Stars

Like the other sports we've discussed in class, college football includes too many significant people and events to include on the blog (that's why class attendance is important!).

Here are a few more early noteworthy people ...

Jim Thorpe (top picture) was voted the greatest American athlete of the first half of the 20th century. A great all-around performer (as we recall from our Olympic section), Thorpe first starred at Carlisle Indian School for legendary coach Glenn "Pop" Warner (third picture from top).

Amos Alonzo Stagg (second picture from top) was the "grand old man" of college football and coached for 57 years and lived to 102!

The most flamboyant and successful of the pre-1950s coaches was Knute Rockne of Notre Dame. Rock was known for great teams and his fiery speeches. He became the prototype of the modern coach. Rockne is pictured fourth from top.

Finally, Red Grange ... the "Galloping Ghost" from Illinois was so popular as a college football player that he almost single-handedly helped bring professional football into acceptability in the late 1920s.