Show r or P CE f or d orthe the best all around athlete I a nation has produced we 11 lOt mg with Jim Thorpe This This came carne back to us as we ran rane e Big Ind an a few ew days ago ter he be had finished a series o oZ s to kids around the country e matter of competition and anda a cal development de n still all for the Indians Jim Jimi but I m only part Indian it i m five eighths In Indian Indian dJan dian two eighths Irish Insh and one eighth French If you want wanti f to go into details t Maybe that just just l makes me an Amer AmerIcan IV ican scan airedale airedale Over 30 Shears ears have i passed by since Pop tt Warner saw a shinny shin shinny skinny ny young Ind an playing games around Carlisle CarmIe 11 II d Rice C At At that time him for y ys YI I never figured wing star str He was a kid who tel ad around pounds They e he be was fast but he be looked a II Good Was Thorpe a I starter Jim Thorpe was the around theall-around around all football player I saw He was nas one of the best of aU all inning nf backs He was one of the best of all punting punting place kicking place drop kicking He lie was a high-class high blocker He was a fine tine forward passer use ose early days and a good pass ver He was a terrific defensive tackling in m the open or back p a line Ime He He was the most durable of I tIre fire lotI lot lotI I recall It Jim never took out end ond s 1 time In many years I asked him If he had ever been In a game fame I still recall his hiser biser er r How can anybody get hurt I g football kand k fc and Field Freid Jim inn won the decathlon the und find championship m track eld back in the 1912 OlympIcs as a high jumper a broad broader r a x sprinter a weight mang man man- mang man ung g you might ask for And I believe he trained framed 10 hours bours for forlie lg II show and show and they took away s I medals because he be hada had d a game fame or two of semi pro alls aU all Is s was completely unjust for fore forpe e was never a field or track ss is anal onal At that time he was as yen ven 1 sted as a pro ball player the boat taking the team to toen toen toen en Thorpe was seen one night and looking along the deck cone eone asked him what he was wasing wasing ing Dg about m m just measuring the the broad he be said This Tins is my tram or r that event I 1 figure I can do et 8 Inches ilch ch is just about what he did orpe as a ball player was atgood atgood at atgood good enough to crash into the leagues with the New York Yorka ts his I a fellow would be he a great ball baU baUer baller baller er McGraw once told me ex for one thing He can t learnt learn it t a curve ball And that s 5 ething no one can teach an Around Stars lere ere have been others who could ore things well than Thorpe d door or r ever had the chance to But not on the big bli timer time M r example Harry Fisher ot of ms ma was a star in at least eight football Is-football football baseball basket basket- basket I tennis tends hockey squash swim and one or two t mote more timer lit ant of Purdue and West Point mother another allaround all aU around brilliant at aty aty y f games cames So was Nell Neil Snow higan one of ot the best So SoI Roy Eoy of Pennsylvania Hanson of Syracuse was an r ut tit t none of these quite reached heights in three major sports Big Jim gained in the palmy of his career career-a career a career that over 15 years at gave Thorpe these winning Ues lica the first place he was amazing and y strong In second place he was as durable on You couldn t hurt him with the the third place he keent had a keen k t competitive brain In the theo place he was completely less in the fifth place he washie was Ius hie peak a under pressure He Heeled led leden in en the tougher going There nothing that could make him ten up re Ii a one example In example In one of ot the Point est of all aU the he West Point Carlisle es Played at The Point Thorpe Standing Handing on his bis own goal line Bill had bad been given for tor a and na hIS hia team was expecting It Pe orpe turned to the he referee Bill BiU ord as x j recall it it with this lark ark ark They think I m going to but but I am alU not He faked a k krind kand rind and tM ran the ball 85 yards down field bell taybe there have bave been greater around stars Ms with greater natu qualities than the American due dale Americano I doubt it |