On May 28, 1888 a legend was born. He was determined, and his name lives on as one of the most versatile athletes to ever set foot on the field. Jim Thorpe was the leader of his pack and a true veteran to his time. His spirit reached millions, and his constant drive to defeat continues to shape modern sport history.
Jacobus Franciscus Thorpe, also known as “Jim Thorpe”, was the great-grand
son of Black Hawk, a famous Indian chief. Thorpe, sixteen, was discovered a natural primacy as he raised the bar to set Carlisle’s new high jump record. His talent attracted a crowd, and with the help of his formal coach Pop Warner, Thorpe’s groundbreaking speed would deem him a track star over night.Jim’s athletic ability catapulted immediate success. With an endless horizon from track and field to football, baseball, basketball, and ballroom dancing, Thorpe was gaining popularity fast. Newspapers exploited his name across headlines as soon as they caught word of the flying phenomena. He was referred to as a savage on a “rampage” or a “Redskin” separate from the rest. Speculations were not apt for the public eye. Still, Thorpe’s victory and immortal endurance could not be touched.
Jim’s efforts evolved into fame merely moments after he wo
n two gold metals in the 1912 Stockholm Summer Olympics. His records stood strong for almost two decades.Several months later, the Amateur Athletic Union seized back Jim’s credibility, affirming him unsuitable for the competition. Though Thorpe dominated the Olympic games with a solid eight wins out of fifteen events, he was stripped of his awards due to a personal mix-up in the rulebook.
Prior to the ceremony, Thorpe played baseball for a tiny salary. The still flourishing right fielder was just a small time ball player; he was never informed or entitled to an “alias” cover up and certainly appeared oblivious to any such restricitons as an amateur regulation or an outdated rulebook.
Controversy concluded that, since Thorpe played for money, he was to be considered a professional. At this time, professionals were not eligible to enter the Olympics. As the boards debated his demeanor, Thorpe moved onto yet another wild defeat.
Despite any foreign dispute, Jim kept a name for himself, refusing to crack and crumble under pressure. Jim played for minor league baseball teams such as the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves, and New York Giants. He totaled ninety-one runs scored, eighty-two runs batted in, and a two hundred and fifty-two out of two hundred and eighty-nine batting average. Later, he was proclaimed the first Indian to win a world series.
The new acclaimed sports icon kicked off to an early, already spiraling career at the tender age of twenty-four. He was fast, sharp, and he was on a roll. Even without the stats, Thorpe steered his fans and many others on a thrilling ride to inspiration.
The Associated Press crowned Jacobus Franciscus Thorpe “the greatest American football player" in 1950. Football was Thorpe’s passion. He played for six different professional NFL teams and managed his own Native American team throughout his active career. President Eisenhower even acknowledged Thorpe in a speech, “He never practiced in his life and he could do a
nything better than any other football player I ever saw.”
Thorpe is also on record for carrying his college football team to a victorious eleven wins and one loss season. He, alone, scored all his team’s winning points as a running back, defensive back, place kicker, and punter with four field goals and a touchdown in a rivalry game against Ivy League Harvard. The very next year he escorted his Carlisle football team to a national championship and ran a ninety-seven-yard touchdown to win the game.
nything better than any other football player I ever saw.”Thorpe is also on record for carrying his college football team to a victorious eleven wins and one loss season. He, alone, scored all his team’s winning points as a running back, defensive back, place kicker, and punter with four field goals and a touchdown in a rivalry game against Ivy League Harvard. The very next year he escorted his Carlisle football team to a national championship and ran a ninety-seven-yard touchdown to win the game.
Thorpe’s leap into professional football drew a crowd almost seven times its normal count. Before the well-rounded sport guru signed himself over to the Canton Bulldogs in 1915, the team averaged 1,200 fans each game. 8,000 fans gathered in the stands when they caught word that Thorpe would be double featured. Thorpe, after, coached Canton for several years. His Bulldogs were nominated the first team to be recognized an all NFL league.
Football marked the pinnacle of Jim Thorpe’s sky rocketing career. At forty-one years old, the iron-toed hero retired from professional football as one of the greatest of his time.
In 1951, Thorpe’s story was produced in the popular film, Jim Thorpe-An All American. In addition, a towering statue of Thorpe was displayed in the Professional Football Hall of Fame. An estimated four hundred sportswriters and journalists named Thorpe the greatest athlete of the first half of the twentieth century, and Thorpe was placed in the number seven spot for the Greatest North American Athletes of all time. Today, the Jim Thorpe Award is handed out yearly to the best defensive back in college football. His Olympic metals and titles have since been reissued.
Thorpe took his last breath on March 28, 1953. He was sixty-six when he crossed the finish line. He went out a walking, talking legend, and to all his fans that witnessed him play, he changed the game forever.
Work Sited:
Jim Thorpe-Athlete of the Century
Jim Thorpe
The Official Site of Jim Thorpe:
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