The 1920s Sports: Headline Makers

Jack Dempsey (1895–1983) Boxer Jack Dempsey was nicknamed the "Manassa Mauler," for his hometown of Manassa, Colorado. In 1919, he knocked out Jess Willard (1881–1968) to become the heavyweight boxing champ. Then in 1926 and 1927, he fought two memorable title bouts against Gene Tunney (1897–1978). In his career, Dempsey won sixty of eighty bouts. His twenty nonvictories included six losses, eight draws, and six no-decisions. Fifty of his wins were by knockout, and half of these took place in the first round.

Lou Gehrig (1903–1941) At the beginning of his career, Lou Gehrig played in the shadow of Babe Ruth. In 1927, Gehrig smacked forty-seven home runs for the New York Yankees, while Ruth belted sixty. In the 1928 World Series, Gehrig hit .545 and Ruth hit .625. However, Gehrig is perhaps the greatest-ever major league first-baseman. During his career, he hit twenty-three grand slams (home runs with the bases loaded) and played in 2,130 straight games. He died at age thirty-seven of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The illness came to be known as "Lou Gehrig's disease."

Harold "Red" Grange (1903–1991) Harold "Red" Grange, halfback for the University of Illinois, was the nation's leading rusher from 1923 to 1925. During the first twelve minutes of a 1924 contest against Michigan, he scored four times: on a 95-yard kickoff return; and on runs of 44, 56, and 67 yards. Later in the same game, he ran for another touchdown (this one was for a measly fifteen yards!) and even threw an 18-yard touchdown pass. The Illini won, 39 to 14. It was for good reason that Grange was nicknamed the "Galloping Ghost."

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Bobby Jones (1902–1971) During the 1920s, Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen (1892–1969), and Gene Sarazen (1902–1999) dominated the golfing world. Of the trio, however, Jones was the one who truly defined the era. What set him apart was that he was a master practitioner of the sport; he often has been dubbed the greatest golfer of all time. Jones's career lasted only fourteen years, during which he played in fifty-two tournaments. He won twenty-three, and was just twenty-eight years old when he retired from competition in 1930.

Ernie Nevers (1903–1976) Ernie Nevers was a giant among college football players during the 1920s. He played offense and defense and also kicked field goals at Stanford, where he earned eleven letters in four sports. In the 1925 Rose Bowl against Notre Dame, he rushed for 114 yards on thirty-four carries, even though casts recently had been removed from both his ankles. He went on to play professional football, baseball, and basketball. In 1929, playing for the NFL Chicago Cardinals, he scored forty points against the rival Chicago Bears. In 1962, Sports Illustrated named Nevers the greatest college football player of all time.

Knute Rockne (1888–1931) As a Notre Dame undergraduate during the previous decade, Knute Rockne had enjoyed a stellar career on the gridiron. In one 1913 contest, a 35 to 13 victory against Army, Gus Dorais (1891–1954) and Rockne helped revolutionize the game, with Dorais throwing and Rockne catching passes. Upon graduation, Rockne became a Notre Dame chemistry teacher. In 1917, he was hired to coach the football team. From then until his death in a 1931 plane crash, he compiled a record of 103 and 12, with five ties. His winning percentage was an astounding .881.

Babe Ruth (1895–1948) In all of baseball history, no ballplayer has had more of an impact on the game than George Herman "Babe" Ruth. He began his major league career in 1914, as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. In 1916 and 1917, he was a twenty-game winner, and he might have enjoyed a Hall-of-Fame career as a pitcher but for his ability to belt a baseball. In 1918, Ruth began playing the outfield. During the 1920s, he smashed homer after homer, forever ending what had been known as baseball's "dead-ball era." His ball-yard feats rescued the sport in the aftermath of the 1919 Black Sox gambling scandal.

Bill Tilden (1893–1953) During the 1920s, Bill Tilden almost single-handedly popularized the sport of tennis among the masses. In 1920, Tilden became the first American to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon, England. He earned six consecutive U.S. Open championships from 1920 to 1925, and won the tournament again in 1929, at age thirty-six. Starting in 1920, he led the U.S. Davis Cup team to seven straight championships. In 1925, he won fifty-seven straight games. Tilden's six-foot height earned him the nickname "Big Bill."