Two-time Olympic gold medalist and American Football Hall of Famer James Francis “Jim” Thorpe came into this world on this day in history, May 28, 1888.
Born in a one-room cabin in the geographic area that is now Oklahoma, Thorpe was raised by Hiram and Charlotte Vieux Thorpe on the Sac and Fox Reservation, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Thorpe was given the Native American name “Wa-tho-huck”, meaning “Bright Way” in the Sac and Fox language.
This name would quickly become prophetic, as Thorpe would establish himself as one of the athletic superstars of the 20th century.
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In 1903, Thorpe moved from Oklahoma to Pennsylvania to attend the Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the Oklahoma Historical Society said. While at Carlisle Indian School, Thorpe flourished as an athlete, although his sporting career had a rather unorthodox start.
Coached by future College Football Hall of Famer Glenn S. “Pop” Warner, Thorpe joined the school's track and field and football teams, the Oklahoma Historical Society website said.
Jim Thorpe, seen here in 1910, was born on this day in history, May 28, 1888. (Getty Images)
Thorpe's entry into athletics began in 1907, notes Smithsonian Magazine. While walking around campus, Thorpe saw the track team practicing the high jump.
Thorpe, who was 5'8″ at the time, asked if he could try jumping the bar, which was set at 5'9″, Smithsonian Magazine said.
Dressed in “overalls and a walnut work shirt,” Thorpe cleared the bar and set the rest of his life in motion.
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The next day, Warner asked to see Thorpe, according to Smithsonian magazine. Instead of punishing Thorpe, as the young student feared, Warner informed him that he had inadvertently broken the school record in the high jump the day before.
Thorpe quickly became a star, although he dropped out of school in 1909. He returned to Carlisle Indian School in 1911 and was named to the first-team All-American football team for 1911 and 1912, the Smithsonian website said. Institution.
Jim Thorpe, above, won two gold medals at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. (Getty Images)
At the 1912 Olympics, Thorpe competed in the decathlon and pentathlon, winning both, despite missing his shoes on the second day of the decathlon. In mismatched shoes, Thorpe's time in the 1,500-meter race would go on uninterrupted for 60 years, Smithsonian Magazine noted.
King Gustav V of Sweden, sponsor of the Games of the Fifth Olympiad, told Thorpe: “You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world.”
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Thorpe replied: “Thank you.”
Shortly after Thorpe's victories in Stockholm, controversy erupted. Thorpe was found to have played semi-professional baseball in 1909 and 1910, putting him in violation of rules regarding amateurism.
Undated photo of Jim Thorpe in a baseball uniform. Jim Thorpe was reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon. (AP Photo, file)
Thorpe's medals were stripped from him in 1913, although he was reinstated as co-winner of the events in 1982, after he posthumously regained amateur status from the Amateur Athletic Union and the United States Olympic Committee, according to Encyclopedia.com.
In 2022, Thorpe was reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon by the International Olympic Committee.
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“We welcome the fact that, thanks to the great commitment of Bright Path Strong, a solution can be found,” IOC President Thomas Bath said in 2022, according to Brightpathstrong.org.
“This is an exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed with an extraordinary gesture of fair play by the National Olympic Committees concerned,” Bath continued.
A 1923 photo of famous football player Jim Thorpe with the Oorang Indians at football practice. (Getty Images)
After the Olympics, Thorpe began playing professional baseball and soccer. He played professional baseball from 1913 to 1919, playing for the New York Giants, Boston Braves and Cincinnati Reds, the Baseball Reference website said.
During the baseball offseason, Thorpe played professional football.
In 1915, he signed with the Canton Bulldogs for $250 per game, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website.
Thorpe was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.
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The Canton Bulldogs “captured unofficial world championships in 1916, 1917 and 1919,” the Pro Football Hall of Fame notes, with Thorpe playing and coaching.
“His mere presence made professional football take a giant step forward in the public's estimation,” the site said.
Jim Thorpe, above, playing for the New York Giants. (Getty Images)
Thorpe was named president of the National Football League in 1920, when the league was first organized, the Pro Football Hall of Fame said.
“He could run with speed and hard-hitting power. He could pass and catch passes like the best, punt long distances, and kick field goals, whether via dropkick or placekick,” the website said.
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“He often demonstrated his kicking prowess during halftime by kicking field goals from the 50-yard line, then turning and kicking through the far post. He blocked with authority and, on defense, was a ripping tackler.”
Although Thorpe died in 1953, his legacy and story lives on.
The “Jim Thorpe Award” has been awarded each year to the best defensive back in college football since 1986, according to the Indiana University Athletics website.
