Publication Date: September 3, 2024
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.
Sports has always generated legions of fans cheering on the best of the best. Even a trip through history will highlight those athletes who performed at high levels.
One of those standout athletes was Red Grange, an Illinois football player. Going back in time to 1924, author Doug Villhard reimagines this young athlete in The Golden Age of Red.
With his handsome All-American looks, Red captured the hearts of young women across the country while business owners salivated at the opportunity to feature his endorsement.
Featuring the infamous Coach Zuppke and numerous public figures, the storyline brings “The Galloping Ghost” to life. While a light-hearted romp for sports fans, it serves to highlight the challenges young athletes face aside from their sport.
The Golden Age of Red delivers an interesting slice of biographical fiction perfect for sports enthusiasts.
Doug Villhard is a writer, professor, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. After decades of starting and selling companies, Villhard is supposed to be retired but instead is having too much fun heading the #1 ranked entrepreneurship department at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. This is his third novel, following Company of Women (2022) and City of Women (2023).
Doug, his wife Diane, and their four children live just outside of St. Louis in Glen Carbon, Illinois, where they co-founded Father McGivney Catholic High School. When Doug isn’t writing, teaching, investing in startups, or serving on boards, he’s perpetually working toward achieving a respectable golf score.
