Jim Thorpe
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Jim Thorpe (James Francis Thorpe) was born on May 28, 1888 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. After going to high school at Carlisle Industrial Indian (Carlisle, PA), Thorpe attended Carlisle Indian. Thorpe made his professional debut in the APFA in 1920 with the Canton Bulldogs. He played in the APFA for 2 years, playing for the Cleveland Tigers and Canton Bulldogs over the course of his 2 year APFA career.Thorpe also played in the NFL for 6 years, playing for the Rock Island Independents, Oorang Indians, Chicago Cardinals and Canton Bulldogs over the course of his 6 year NFL career.
Jim Thorpe,hands down the greatest single indivdual athlete in history. I didn't get to see him compete until he was much older in the late 20's but my father saw him compete in the 1912 O Games in Sweden and use to tell stories about him running, jumping and leaping that today bring back memories I thought long forgotten. His accomplishments are legendary and without peer. To win both the deca and penta gold medals is unheard of and for that day and age somewhat of a challenge that nobody has even tried to do before or since the 1912 games. Dad talked about watching him run standing up and with such power that the people around couldn't even believe he was doing what he was trying to do.
I always get a real big laugh after I read someone puts him behind Babe and Jordan. Babe I can see but Ruth wasn't anything but a baseball player although I think he would have been a unbelieveable golfer if he put his mind to it. Ruth was 6'3" 185 when he started in baseball and ran like a deer but compared to Thorpe it would have made him look like he was just kind of walking. Jordan is a good athlete but not anywhere near Jim Thorpe. Thorpe was an all-american in 4 major sports and a 2 time gold medal winner in 2 different events. He played in the NFL, MajorLeagues and track and field. Not just played or participated but excelled to a point that there was no one in his league.
My grandpa told us stories about him playing in the NFL and that like in college he just ran through people. He kicked 70 yard dropped kick fieldgoals and was one of the most punishing tacklers in the league. James Francis Thorpe was forever be remembered as one of the greatest individual atheles in the history of sports either individual or team. I got to meet him in the 30's before the war and even then you could see that he was something special in the way he walked and moved. As he was going older he stilled moved like someone that knew there place on a sports field. My vote will always be for Thorpe because according to the people who got to witness his career everytime he got the ball or line up to run there was electricity in the air and was one of those individual that just put out something in the air around him that put him up there like a living legend but much more. The Babe was the Babe but Jim Thorpe was something or someone we may never see again.
[edit] Biography
James Francis Thorpe also, Jacobus Fransicus Thorpe (on his baptismal certificate as no birth certificate was issued) (May 28, 1888 – March 28, 1953), was declared "America's Athlete of the Century" when U.S. House of Representatives passed resolution 198 on May 27, 1999. He was also named Athlete of the half century by the Associated Press in 1950 as well as greatest football player of the half century. In 1999, the AP listed Thorpe third on it's Athletes of the Century (behind Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan). ESPN listed him as #7 most important athlete of the 20th Century. There is also a town in Pennsylvania that was posthumously named after him (Jim Thorpe, PA, formerly Mauch Chunk, PA) even though he had never set foot there.
Jim Thorpe played football and baseball professionally (inducted with the first Pro Football Hall of Fame class) as well as winning several medals in Track and Field events in the Olympics. He also competed in lacrosse and even ballroom dancing.
Thorpe was coached by Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner in football at Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Initially, Warner was hesitant to use Thorpe on offense as to preventing the blossoming track star from getting hurt. Warner assumed a track athlete wouldn't be able to avoid being tackled and would get hurt. Thorpe unrelented and asked to run plays on offense. Warner found out quickly his assumptions were wrong. Jim was good.
In 1911, Thrope rose to prominence in football playing defensive back, running back, punter and kicker. Several times he scored all of his teams points and led Carlisle to a 11-1 record. In 1912 Thorpe also dominated a game vs Army that included a play where Thorpe injured future President Dwight Eisenhower on a play in which Eisenhower attemted to tackle Thorpe unsuccessfully. Thorpe was an All-American both in 1911 and 1912.
During the 1912 Olympics, Thorpe won Two gold medals in and another two challege prizes as well as joining an exhibition baseball team during the Oympics. King Gustav of Sweden when presenting the medals would tell Thorpe "You sir, are the greatest athlete in the world." to which he supposedly responded "Thanks, King". Thorpe would go on to baseball barnstorming tours and eventually to MLB with the New York Giants.
[edit] After Sports
Although Thorpe was World Famous as an athlete, he endured much hardship due to racism and his American Indian ethnicity. He was stripped of his gold medals when he was declared a professional athlete after playing baseball for pay in 1909 and 1910 (before he won track and field medals). He was involved in bad business deals, bad relationships and became an alcoholic before dying virtually penniless and stripped of his Olympic accomplishments.
The medals were reinstated 30 years after his death though was declared co-champions with the medal recipients who were awarded first when Thorpe was disqualified. Both athletes had considered Thorpe to be the champion. On January 18, 1983 the medals were returned to Thorpe's children and were placed in museums where they were stolen and are still missing.
