The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-05-22

Pop says, 'T never figured him for
any coming star. He was kid who
weighed around lao pounds. They
told me he was fast, but he looked
too thin"
Ho,U Good Vas Thorpe?
As starter, Jim Thorpe was the
best all-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-kicking,
and drop-kicking.
3. He was high-class blocker.
4. He was a fine forward passer
for those early days and good pass
receiver.
S. He was a terrific defensive
man-tackling in the open or back
ing up line.
6. 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 had ever been
hurt in a game. i still recall his
answer, How can anybody get hurt
playing football?"
Track and Field
Big Jim won the decathlon, the
all-around championship in track
and field, back in the 1912 0Iympics.
He was high jumper, a broad
jumper, a Splinter, a weight man
anything you might ask for. And
don't believe he trained 10 hours for
the big sh0w-and they took away
all his medals, because he had
played game or two of semi-pro
baseball.
This was completely unjust, for
Thorpe was never 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.
Someone asked him what he was
thinking about.
'Tm just measuring the broad
jump" he said. "This is my train
ing for that event. 1 figure I can do
% feet, 8 inches"
Which is just about what he did.
Thorpe as a ball player was at
least good enough to crash into the
big leagues with the New York
Giants.
"This fellow would be great ball
player" McGraw once told me, eek
cept for one thing. He can't learn
to hit a curve ball. And that's
something no one can teach an
other"
All around Stars
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 star in at least eight
sports-football, baseball, basket
ball, tennis, hockey, squash, swim
ming, and one or two more. Elmer
Oliphant of Purdue and West Point
was another all-around brilliant at
many games. So was Neil Snow
of Michigan, one of the best. So
was Roy Mercer of Pennsylvania.
Vic Hanson of Syracuse was an
other.
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 amazing
ly quick and amazingly strong. In
the second place, he was as durable
as iron. You couldn't hurt him with
a crowbar.
In the third place, he had a keen,
quick competitive brain. In the
fourth place, he was completely
fearless. In the fifth place, he was
at his peak under pressure. He
reveled 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 Carlisle
games, played at The Point, Thorpe
was standing on his own goal line.
The signal had been given for
kick and his team was expecting it.
Thorpe turned to the referee (Bill
Langford, as 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