Red Grange made his pro football debut on Thanksgiving Day 1925, playing for the Chicago Bears against the crosstown rival, the Cardinals. The game ended in a scoreless tie. Grange not only was held to 36 yards rushing but he was unable to break loose on a punt return, a specialty.
The Cardinals great triple-threat tailback Paddy Driscoll punted many times that day, but he always kept it away from Grange, kicking it either to Joey Sternaman or out of bounds. "Kicking to Grange", Driscoll said, "is like grooving one to Babe Ruth".
After the game was over, and Grange had made his uneventful debut, Driscoll stopped at the seats behind the Cardinals bench to talk to his wife. As the other players headed to the locker room, there was a lot of booing. "I hate to hear the fans boo a young man like Grange", Driscoll said. "It wasn't his fault he couldn't break one today."
"Don't feel sorry for Grange", his wife said. "It's you they're booing."
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