The Golden Age of Red: A Novel of Red Grange, The Galloping Ghost - Paperback

by Doug Villhard (Author), Danielle Villhard (Cover Design by)

One hundred years ago, Red Grange became more famous than Babe Ruth and sparked the original debate as to whether college athletes should be compensated for their name, image, and likeness.

At the height of the Roaring Twenties, college football star Red Grange craved normalcy. He longed to finish his season, earn a degree, settle down, and start a business career. Ever modest and shy, Red was poised to achieve his quiet dreams until he scored four touchdowns in the first 12 minutes against undefeated Michigan (the reigning national champions), and sportswriters across the country anointed him the greatest football player of all time. Red's extraordinary feat is still regarded by Sports Illustrated as the most unforgettable single-day performance by any athlete.

Catapulted to a level of fame beyond even Babe Ruth, Red didn't know where to turn. His girlfriend, coach, friends, family, boosters, and the fledgling NFL all craved a piece of him. With swaggering confidence and a silver tongue, C.C. Pyle, America's first sports agent, dangled before Red an alternate destiny.

As the final game clock ticked down, Red struggled to appease those he loved without sacrificing his soul. All the while, his decision played out against the glittering, raucous backdrop of a decade of flappers, jazz, and speakeasies known as the Golden Age of Sports.

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With appearances by Charlie Chaplin, Chicago Bears owner George Halas, New York Giants owner Tim Mara, and several other 1920s celebrities, including an eight-year-old JFK, whose father, Joe Kennedy, produced two movies starring Red Grange, The Golden Age of Red is a fast, entertaining work of immersive biographical historical fiction that will resonate with sports enthusiasts of all ages, and especially those following today's almost daily changes regarding the compensation of student-athletes.