View source for Sonny Grandelius

{{short description|American football player and coach (1929–2008)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name           = Sonny Grandelius
| image          = Sonny Grandelius.png
| number         = 24
| position       = [[Halfback (American football)|Halfback]]
| birth_date     = {{Birth date|1929|4|16|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Muskegon, Michigan]], U.S.
| death_date     = {{death date and age|2008|4|25|1929|4|16}}
| death_place    = Muskegon, Michigan, U.S.
| height_ft      = 6
| height_in      = 0
| weight_lb      = 195
| high_school    = [[Muskegon Heights High School|Muskegon Heights]] <br> ([[Muskegon Heights, Michigan]])
| college        = [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan St.]]
| draftyear      = 1951
| draftround     = 3
| draftpick      = 37
| pastteams      =
* [[New York Giants]] ({{NFL Year|1953}})
| pastcoaching   =
* Michigan State (1954-1958) <br> Assistant
* [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado]] (1959-1961) <br> Head coach
* [[Philadelphia Eagles]] ({{NFL Year|1962|1963}}) <br> Assistant
* [[Detroit Lions]] ({{NFL Year|1964}}) <br> Assistant
| pastadmin      =
* [[Detroit Wheels]] ([[1974 World Football League season|1974]]) <br> General manager
| highlights     =
* [[Big Eight Conference|Big Eight]] champion ([[Big Eight Conference football#Champions|1961]])
* [[Big Eight Conference football#Coach of the Year|Big Eight Coach of the Year]] (1961)
* First-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1950 College Football All-America Team|1950]])
* Duffy Daughtery Award (1991)<ref name="MSUMediaGuide">{{cite web | url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/msu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/03mg-9Honors-Awards241-266.pdf | title=2003 Michigan State Media Guide | publisher=Michigan State | accessdate=January 10, 2007 | year=2003 }}</ref>
| statlabel1     = Rushing yards
| statvalue1     = 278
| statlabel2     = Rushing average
| statvalue2     = 2.6
| statlabel3     = [[Reception (gridiron football)|Reception]]s
| statvalue3     = 15
| statlabel4     = Receiving yards
| statvalue4     = 80
| statlabel5     = Total [[touchdown]]s
| statvalue5     = 1
| regular_record = {{Winning percentage|20|11|0|record=y}}
| playoff_record = Bowl: {{Winning percentage|0|1|0|record=y}}
| pfr            = GranSo20
}}

'''Everett John''' "'''Sonny'''" '''Grandelius''' (April 16, 1929 – April 25, 2008) was an [[American football]] player, coach, announcer, and executive. He served as the head football coach at the [[University of Colorado at Boulder]] from 1959 to 1961, compiling a record {{nowrap|of {{winning percentage|20|11|record=y}}.}} Grandelius played [[college football]] at [[Michigan State University]] from 1948 to 1950 and professionally in  the [[National Football League]] (NFL) with the [[New York Giants]] in 1953.

==Playing career==
Born in [[Muskegon Heights, Michigan]], Grandelius attended [[Muskegon Heights High School]], and is a 1987 inductee to the Muskegon Sports Hall of Fame.<ref name="mashf">{{cite web | url=http://www.mashf.com/1987_inductees.htm | title=Class of 1987 | publisher=mashf.com | accessdate=January 10, 2007 }}</ref> He led his team to back-to-back state championships in 1945 as a [[quarterback]] and in 1946 as a [[Fullback (gridiron football)|fullback]] when he was also selected as a first team All-State. As a senior at Michigan State in [[1950 Michigan State Spartans football team|1950]], he gained 184 rushing yards in the season opener, establishing a then school record. During his senior season, he gained 1,023 yards and 11 [[touchdown]]s on 163 attempts, the 17th back in [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] history to rush for 1,000 yards or more in a season and the first at Michigan State.<ref name="death" /> He was the leading scorer for the team and selected as the team's [[Most valuable player|MVP]]. Grandelius also was an [[1950 College Football All-America Team|All-American]], selected by three publications including the [[Associated Press|AP]].<ref name="MSUMediaGuide" /> As of 2006, he was ranked fourth in career average yards per carry at Michigan State (6.09, minimum of 150 attempts) and tied for tenth in rushing touchdowns for a single season (11).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/msu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/06-mg-section3.pdf | title=Rushing Records (p. 96) | accessdate=July 10, 2006 | year=2006 }}</ref> He had seven 100-yard rushing games in his career. He was the MVP of the 1951 [[Hula Bowl]] and also lettered in boxing his sophomore year.<ref name="mashf" />

===100-yard rushing games===
{{col-begin|width=66%}}
{{col-1-of-2}}
* 1949 season
** October 1 • 11 carries for 104 yards vs. [[Marquette University|Marquette]]
** November 19 • 12 carries for 116 vs. [[Arizona Wildcats football|Arizona]]
{{col-2-of-2}}
* 1950 season
** September 23 • 24 carries for 184 vs. [[Oregon State Beavers football|Oregon State]]
** October 7 • 14 carries for 110 vs. [[Maryland Terrapins football|Maryland]]
** October 21 • 16 carries for 122 vs. Marquette
** October 28 • 21 carries for 114 vs. [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]]
** November 4 • 25 carries for 177 vs. [[Indiana Hoosiers football|Indiana]]
{{col-end}}

Drafted as the 11th pick in the third round (37th overall) of the [[1951 NFL draft]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1951&lg=NFL |title=1951 NFL Draft |access-date=January 10, 2007 |publisher=databasefootball.com |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203143348/http://www.databasefootball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1951&lg=nfl |archive-date=February 3, 2007 |df= }}</ref> Grandelius played one season, in 1953, in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for the [[New York Giants]]. He rushed 108 times for 278 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 fumbles and also had 15 receptions for 80 yards.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/players.nsf/ID/03430106 | title=Sonny Grandelius | date=July 20, 2003 | accessdate=January 10, 2007 | publisher=JT-SW.com | author=John Troan}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Grandelius became an assistant coach at his alma mater in [[1954 Michigan State Spartans football team|1954]] under newly promoted head coach [[Duffy Daugherty]] and stayed for five seasons, through [[1958 Michigan State Spartans football team|1958]]. He&nbsp;was hired as head coach at [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado]] at age 29 in February [[1959 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1959]], succeeding recently fired [[Dallas Ward]] at a salary {{nowrap|of [[United States dollar|$]]14,000.<ref name=bffhgrnd>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vvxVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4325%2C1588512 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Buffs hire Grandelius |date=February 10, 1959 |page=2B}}</ref>}} {{nowrap|Grandelius led}} the Buffaloes to controversial greatness, including a [[Big Eight Conference]] championship in [[1961 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1961]] and an [[1962 Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]] berth on [[New Year's Day]].<ref name="death" />

Shortly after their bowl loss to [[1961 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]], it became rumor that he had been using a [[slush fund]] to pay between 15 and 30 top recruits and their families. The&nbsp;[[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] investigated and released inconclusive findings on April 27, 1962,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://goomer.ncaa.org/wdbctx/lsdbi/LSDBi.MajorInfPackage.ProcessMultipleBylaws?p_Multiple=0&p_PK=169&p_Button=View+Public+Report&p_TextTerms=ThisIsADummyPhraseThatWillNotBeDuplicated&p_TextTerms2=ThisIsADummyPhraseThatWillNotBeDuplicated&p_Division= | title=Colorado's 1962 NCAA Public Infraction Report | date=1962-04-27 | accessdate=January 10, 2007 | publisher=[[NCAA]] }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> which led to more controversy; the university regents had fired Grandelius six weeks earlier {{nowrap|on March 17.<ref name=cffc>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ROFRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UekDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5972%2C3061660 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Colorado fires football coach |date=March 18, 1962 |page=4B}}</ref><ref name=srregfi>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GKFWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hecDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5608%2C1100073 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Regents fire Buffs' coach Grandelius |date=March 18, 1962 |page=1, sports}}</ref>}} Only one regent of the six, Charles Bromley, voted not to fire Grandelius, saying the firing "violated every principle of fair play since the [[Magna Carta]]."<ref>{{cite web|quote=However, it was found later that Grandelius was never part of any wrongdoing or having a slush fund. |url=http://www.cualum.org/coloradan/June2005/newsofcu.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927022546/http://www.cualum.org/coloradan/June2005/newsofcu.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |title=''Coloradan'' Boulder Beat |author=Paul Danish |access-date=January 10, 2007 |date=June 2005 }}</ref>

The football team was also punished for two seasons by not allowing television coverage of games or be involved in any post-season [[bowl game]]s. At least 20 players lost scholarships or left Colorado. News accounts at the time claimed that Grandelius was the first coach in the country fired for recruiting {{nowrap|improprieties.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/buffzone_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2448_2638885,00.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729064514/http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/buffzone_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2448_2638885,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 29, 2012 | title=CU-News:Recruiting violations | publisher=Boulder Daily Camera | date=February 7, 2004 | access-date=January 10, 2007}}</ref>}} Under interim head coach [[William E. Davis|Bud Davis]] in [[1962 Colorado Buffaloes football team|1962]], the Buffaloes had a dismal {{nowrap|2–8 record.}}

After leaving Colorado, Grandelius went on to assistant coaching positions in the NFL with the [[Detroit Lions]] and [[Philadelphia Eagles]].

==Later life and death==
Grandelius was a [[color commentator]] for Detroit Lions telecasts on [[NFL on CBS|CBS]] from 1965 to 1967. He was also the general manager for the [[Detroit Wheels]] of the [[World Football League]] (WFL) in 1974.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.helmethut.com/WFL/WFLWheels1.html | title=Detroit WFL Wheels - 1974 | publisher=Helmethut.com | accessdate=January 10, 2007}}</ref> Grandelius died on April 25, 2008, at age 79 in [[Beverly Hills, Michigan]].<ref name="death">{{cite web | url=http://buffzone.com/news/2008/apr/27/ex-buff-coach-grandelius-dies/ | title= Ex-Buff coach Grandelius dies | publisher=Daily Camera| date=April 27, 2008 | accessdate=April 28, 2008 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
He also had a wife, Martha Grandelius, and with her he had four children, Steven, Tammy, Kristin and Joel Grandelius. Along with being a loving father he also was a grandfather of five, Christopher Pendy, Andrew Pendy, Michael Pendy, Nick Grandelius and Grace Grandelius.

==Head coaching record==
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = both }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado Buffaloes]]
 | conf      = [[Big Eight Conference]]
 | startyear = 1959
 | endyear   = 1961
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1959 college football season|1959]]
 | name         = [[1959 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 5–5
 | conference   = 3–3
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1960 college football season|1960]]
 | name         = [[1960 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 6–4{{#tag:ref|[[Kansas Jayhawks football|Kansas]] later forfeited their 1960 Big Eight Conference win over Colorado because of the use of an ineligible player.  Nonetheless, the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] and Colorado records credit Grandelius with the loss and a 6–4 record for the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/football/2010_Info_Guide/coaching_records_pg129.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=600 |title=Coaching Records |author= |date= |work=2010 Colorado Football Information Guide & Record Book |publisher=[[Colorado Buffaloes|University of Colorado Buffaloes]] |page=129 |access-date=November 24, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316071818/http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/football/2010_Info_Guide/coaching_records_pg129.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=600 |archive-date=March 16, 2012 |df= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/football/2010_Info_Guide/season_by_season_results_stats_pg214-282.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=600 |title=Season-By-Season Results |author= |date= |work=2010 Colorado Football Information Guide & Record Book |publisher=[[Colorado Buffaloes|University of Colorado Buffaloes]] |page=233 |access-date=November 24, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316072207/http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/football/2010_Info_Guide/season_by_season_results_stats_pg214-282.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=600 |archive-date=March 16, 2012 |df= }}</ref>|group="n"|name="1960forfeit"}}
 | conference   = 5–2<ref name=1960forfeit group=n/>
 | confstanding = 2nd<ref name=1960forfeit group=n/>
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[1961 college football season|1961]]
 | name         = [[1961 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]
 | overall      = 9–2
 | conference   = 7–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | bowlname     = [[1962 Orange Bowl|Orange]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 7
 | ranking2     = 7
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Colorado
 | overall    = 20–11
 | confrecord = 15–5
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 20–11
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = two
 | polltype = 
}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group="n"}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Footballstats |nfl=2515173 |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=GranSo20 |dbf= |rotoworld=}}

{{Colorado Buffaloes football coach navbox}}
{{Giants1951DraftPicks}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grandelius, Sonny}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:American football fullbacks]]
[[Category:American football halfbacks]]
[[Category:Colorado Buffaloes football coaches]]
[[Category:Detroit Lions announcers]]
[[Category:Detroit Lions coaches]]
[[Category:Michigan State Spartans football coaches]]
[[Category:Michigan State Spartans football players]]
[[Category:NFL announcers]]
[[Category:NCAA sanctions]]
[[Category:New York Giants players]]
[[Category:World Football League executives]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Eagles coaches]]
[[Category:People from Muskegon Heights, Michigan]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Michigan]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Michigan]]