Evening star., 1950-01-25
Bough Is Ranked Fifth in Poll
On Grid Stars Won by Thorpe
BY the Associofed Press

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. Is. -
Fate hasn't always been kind to
Jim Thorpe but you never would
guess it talking with the greatest
football player of them all.
The 61-year-old Sac and Fox
Indian, voted by 391 of the Ma
tons sports writer's and broad
casters as the No. l gridiron per-
former of the last SO years, prefers
to think only of the high spots in
an athletic career that started at
Carlisle Institute in 1907.
His football exploits for the
Pennsylvania Indian school twice
made him a member of Walter
Camps All-America teams. And
the memory of those deeds
brought him ITO votes in the
Associated Press mid century
poll. Harold (RedD Grange, Illi-
nois' galloping ghost of the mid
twenties. was second with 1873
votes.
Next came Bronko Nagurski OF
Minnesota, with 38 tallies, fol-
lowed by Ernie Nevers of STAN
ford and Sammy Baugh of Texas
Christian. each with seven votes
Lost Olympic Awards.
The times he was down and out
are just memory to Thorpe now
Jim will talk about them but he'd
rather recall his football feats
the 1912 Olympics when he won
both the Decathlon and Pentath-
Ion at Stockholm or the time he
spent as a major league baseball
player.
He has only a battered cup OF
two to show for his athletic
prowess. His Olympic awards
were taken fr@n him when the
Amateur Athletic Union discov.
cred he had played professional
baseball before the 1912 interna.
tional games. Other cups and
medals either have been stolen OF
lost.
Thorpe was born near Prague
Okla, in 1888. 1t was almost two
years after the budding athlete
enrolled at Carlisle. that he at
tracted attention of the schools
coach, Glenn (Pop) Warner, and
then as high jumper.
During virtually the entire 1907
season Thorpe sat on the bench
but in 1908, when the Indians
regular halfback was injured that
the Oklahoman got into the fray
In the very first encounter he
sped IS and IS yards for touch.
downs that brought the tiny schoo
an upset triumph over mighty
Pennsylvania.
Lured Back to Carlisle.
BY seasons end he was the mos
talked about athlete in Penn.
sylvania. He was lured back tt
Carlisle in 1911. Then followed
two of the greatest football year.
ever enjoyed by any athlete.
For many football follower.
Thorpe's exhibition in the 1911
game against Harvard. then tn.
ruler of the football universe, wa.
the greatest of his career.
Against Harvard, Thorpe kickee
four field goals and plunged II
yards in nine plays for a touch
down that brought the Indian.
an 18 to Is victory. The de.
cisive field goal was booted from
the 48-yard line.
"I'll never forget our 1912 gam,
against Army" Thorpe recalled
Army kicked off. I took the bal
near the goal line and ran for &
touchdown. But there was a pen.
atty. Again Army kicked off
Again I took the ball near the goa
line and went for touchdown
That was my greatest football
thrill"
Was All Around Star.
Gridiron legend has it thai
there was nothing he couldn't dt
on field. He had few equals
as punter and placement kicker
while his open field running, in.
1terference and defensive worE
stamped him a marvel of all time
1 Thorpe recalled that Warner
found only one fault with him
Warner called him lazy.
Guess I was-and still am,
Thorpe declared before telling the
story Of a game in which an op.
posing end took a pass on hi:
/ finger tips and sped for a touch
/ down.
Thorpe. screamed Warner
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