Evening star., 1941-04-25
The
SpoRTLIGHT
Thorpe Hailed as Best
AII-Around Athlete
By GRANTLAND RICE,
Special Correspondent of The Star.

Special correspondent OF Inc StaI.
NEW YORK, April "a (N.A.N.A0
For the best all-round athlete this
Nation has produced we still will
string with Jim Thorpe This
angle came back to us as we ran
into the Big Indian a few days ago
lust after he had finished a series OF
lectures to kids around the cor-try
on the matter of competition and
physical development.
I'm still all for the Indians" Jim
said, but I'm only part Indian.
I'm five-eighths Indian, two-eighths
Irish and one-eighth French, If you
want to go into details. Maybe
that Just makes me an American
Airedale."
More than 80 years have passed
by since Pop Warner saw skinny
young Indian playing games around
Carlisle.
"At that time" Pop says, "I never
figured him for any coming star.
He was a kid who weighed around
40 pounds. They told me he was
fast, but he looked too thin"
Nothing He Didn't Excel
In as Football Player
As a starter, Jim Thorpe was the
best ar-around football player I
ever saw.
l, He was one of the best Of all
the running backs.
2. He was one of the best of all
the kickers-punting, place-kcking
and drop-hcking.
8. He was a high-class blocker.
4. He was a fine forward passel
for those early days and good pass
receiver.
S. He was a terrific defensive
manufacturing in the open or back
ing up line.
8. He was the most durable of the
entire lot.
AS I recall it, Jim never took out
a seconds time in many years. I
once asked him if he ever had been
hurt in a game. 1 still recall his
answer, How the heck can anybody
get hurt playing football?"
Big Jim won the decathlon, the
all-around championship in track
and field, back in the 1912 Olympics
He was a high jumper, a broad
jumper, a sprinter, weight man
anything you might ask for. And I
don't believe he trained 10 hours
for the big show-and they took
away all his medals because he had
played a game or two of semi-pro
baseball.
Merely Measuring Distance
His Brood Jump Troinine
This completely was unjust, for
Thorpe was never a field or track
professional At that time he was
not even listed as pro ball player.
On the boat taking the team to
Sweden, Thorpe was seen one night
sitting and looking along the deck.
Some one asked him what he was
thinking about.
I'm just measuring the broad
jump" he said. This is my train
ing for that event.. I figure I can
40 rs 1eeC b lncneS.
Which is Just about what he did.
Thorpe as ballplayer was at
least good enough to crash the big
leagues with the New York Giants.
This fellow would be great ball
player" McGraw once told me, "ex-
cept for one thing. He can't learn
TO hit q curve ball And that's
something no one can teach another.
II soon could make him into a
great outfielder," McGraw said,
land great base runner. He can
kill speed. But he came along in
baseball too late to hit curve
There have been others who could
DO more things well than Thorpe
could door ever had the chance to
do. But not on the big time.
For example, Harry Fisher Of
williams was a star in at least
eight sports-football, baseball, bas-
ket ball, tennis, hockey, squash,
swimming and one or two more
Elmer Oliphant of Purdue and West
Point was another all-around bril-
liant at many games. So was Neil
Snow of Michigan one of the best.
So was Roy Mercer of Pennsylvania.
Hanson of Syracuse was another.
Jim Amazingly Quick,
Strong, ond He Wos Peerless
But none of these quite reached
the heights in three major sports
that Big Jim gained in the palmy
days of his career--a career that
extended over IS years.
What gave Thorpe these winning
qualities?
In the first place, he was amaz-
ingly quick and amazingly strong.
In the second place, he was as dur
able as steel. You couldn't hurt him
with a crowbar.
In the third place, he had keen,
quick, competitive brain. In the
fourth place, he was completely
fearless. In the fifth place, he was
at his peak under pressure. He rev.
eJed in the tougher going. There
was nothing that could make him
tighten up.
Here's one example-in one of the
hardest of all the West Point-Car-
Isle games, played at the Point.
Thorpe was standing on his own
goal line. The signal had been CIV
en- for kick. His team was look
ing for a kick.
Thorpe turned to the referee (Bill
Langford, as I recall it, with this
remark, "They think I'm going to
kick, but I am not" He faxed a
kick and ran the ball IS yards down
the field.
Maybe there have been greater
all-around stars with greater natu-
raj qualities than the American
Airedale. I doubt 1t.