In the 20th century, American football developed from a game with few teams, few fans and little standardized equipment into a major sport. In the Chicago area, as elsewhere, some high schools and other groups sponsored football teams. But it was the college and university teams that grew rapidly in popularity. More and more people, including many people who had never attended college, began to pay attention to football and make celebrities of some players and coaches. Meanwhile professional football teams struggled to gain a wider following.

A star player, Harold "Red" Grange, generated tremendous excitement among fans that carried over from college to professional football. Grange was a three-time All-American while playing for the University of Illinois. His brother, Garland Grange, was an outstanding football player as well. However, it was Red Grange, famed as the "galloping ghost," who won national recognition in 1924 when he rushed for 402 yards and scored five touchdowns in a game against the University of Michigan. When Red Grange signed to play with the Chicago Bears in 1925, he provided an enormous boost to the team and to the new National Football League. Grange attracted photographers wherever he went, such as in this staged "photo opportunity" (below) with a pretty young woman kicking a football.