Sonny Grandelius Everett John " Sonny " Grandelius ( April 16 , 1929 – April 25 , 2008 ) was an American football player , coach , announcer , and executive . He served as the head coach at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1959 to 1961 , compiling a record of 20 – 11 . Grandelius played football at Michigan State University from 1948 to 1950 and with the NFL ' s 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 . He led his team to back - to - back state championships in 1945 as a quarterback and in 1946 as a fullback when he was also selected as a first team All - State . He gained 184 rushing yards in the 1950 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 NCAA history to rush for 1000 yards or more in a season and the first at Michigan State . He was the leading scorer for the team and selected as the team ' s MVP . Grandelius also was an All - American his senior year in 1950 , selected by three publications including the AP . 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 ) . 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 . Drafted as the 11th pick in the third round ( 37th overall ) of the 1951 NFL Draft , Grandelius played one season ( 1953 ) in the 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 . Coaching career . Grandelius was hired as the head football coach of Colorado beginning with the 1959 season . He would lead the team to controversial greatness , including a Big Eight Conference Championship in 1961 . However , shortly after the 1962 Orange Bowl that Colorado lost , it became apparent that Grandelius had been using a slush fund to pay between 15 to 30 top recruits and their families . The NCAA investigated and released the findings on April 27 , 1962 , which resulted in Grandelius ' firing . Only one regent , Charles Bromley , of the University voted not to fire Grandelius , saying the firing " " violated every principle of fair play since the Magna Carta . " " 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 improprieties . After leaving Colorado , Grandelius went on to assistant coaching positions with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles . Later life and death . Grandelius was a color commentator for Detroit Lions telecasts on CBS from 1965 to 1967 . He was also the general manager for the WFL Detroit Wheels in 1974 . Grandelius died on April 25 , 2008 at age 79 in Beverly Hills , Michigan .