In 1925, the Bears scored a major coup by signing Illinois superstar Red Grange, college football's top player. Grange played his final game for Illinois Nov. 21, signed with the Bears Nov. 22 and made his NFL debut Nov. 26—in a 0-0 tie against the Chicago Cardinals before a crowd of 36,000 on Thanksgiving Day at Wrigley Field.
Grange then headlined a barnstorming tour throughout December and January during which the Bears played an astounding 19 games, traveling from coast-to-coast. Grange's presence on the tour helped pro football explode in popularity.
Grange and Dick Butkus are the only two Illinois football players to have their numbers retired. Before Butkus joined the Bears as a first-round draft pick in 1965, the Hall of Fame middle linebacker was a two-time consensus All-American at Illinois, where he played center and fullback in addition to linebacker.
Butkus finished third in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior in 1964 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.