Fansided

30 best nicknames in NFL history

By Jarrett Bailey

PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 28: Jerome Bettis #36 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs against the Washington Redskins on November 28, 2004 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Redskins 16-7.(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 28: Jerome Bettis #36 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs against the Washington Redskins on November 28, 2004 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Redskins 16-7.(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 30
Next
CHAMPAIGN, IL – OCTOBER 08: A statue of Red Grange is seen in front of Memorial Stadium before the Illinois Fighting Illini versus Purdue Boilermakers game on October 8, 2016 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – OCTOBER 08: A statue of Red Grange is seen in front of Memorial Stadium before the Illinois Fighting Illini versus Purdue Boilermakers game on October 8, 2016 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

4. “The Galloping Ghost” Red Grange

Nicknames were more creative and so much better in the old days, and this is just another example of that.

Grange was one of the NFL’s first great players. He played at a time where not too many people were paying attention to pro football. The biggest sports at the time were baseball and college football, and not too many eyes followed players from college to the pros.

He also played in a time where the forward pass was basically nonexistent. It was the very beginning of the NFL, and Grange was one of the league’s sole stars that they banked on helping the league grow, and he did just that. He became arguably the best player of his era from the mid 1920s-early 1930s and brought more attention to the league during his time with the Chicago Bears.

Not to mention “The Galloping Ghost” is a rad nickname, as well. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 for his contributions to the game. He doesn’t get discussed a ton nowadays, but the game may not be where it is today if not for Grange helping it get off the ground.

Home/NFL