I was watching the Super Bowl, when Jim Thorpe showed up in my mind. Not in the flesh, obviously. That would’ve been one great halftime show. He showed up in my mind. Football has a way of stirring old memories, and I found myself thinking about my stepfather.
Back in 1952–53, he and I would head to the LA Coliseum to watch the Rams. Bob Waterfield throwing bombs, Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch making impossible catches, and the legend himself, Dick “Night Train” Lane. By the way, he wins for best nickname ever. It was a golden time for football, and my stepfather, like many others, would tell me stories of the greats, including Jim Thorpe.
Who Was Jim Thorpe? Just the Best at Everything.
Jim Thorpe wasn’t just a football player. He was a force of nature. In 1912, he dominated the Olympics, winning gold in the pentathlon and decathlon. King Gustav of Sweden reportedly told him, "You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world." Thorpe’s response? "Thanks, King."
But Thorpe wasn’t just about track and field. He was an All-American football player at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in 1912 and 1913, played professional football for seven teams, and even signed with the New York Giants’ baseball team in 1913. He juggled baseball and football, proving that being a multi-sport athlete wasn’t just possible. It was his way of life.
Of course, controversy followed. The Olympic committee stripped his medals when they found out he had played minor league baseball for money. "I went to play baseball in North Carolina for a couple of summers and paid for it the rest of my life," Thorpe once said. Decades later, his medals were reinstated, but the injustice lingered.
My Own Football Days. Nothing major.
Like most kids in my era, I wanted to be a football player. There were no official leagues for us “children” (because we weren’t called "youth" yet), so we improvised. We got ourselves helmets and shoulder pads in Rams colors and played in front yards, streets, and sidewalks. Back then, helmets had a single-bar face mask. That was perfect for catching an elbow or a knee to the face. Sixty years later, I still have a few scars to show for it.
Jim Thorpe, though? He played with barely any protection and still dominated. No wonder Grantland Rice called him the greatest football player ever. That was not because he was the best at any single skill, but because he was great at all of them.
Bringing Thorpe to Canvas
I had painted this painting a number of years ago and can’t even remember if I sold it. It may be sitting in my storage. It’s A 4-foot by 8-foot acrylic painting on unstretched canvas that captures Thorpe in all his grit and glory. Dripping paint, bold strokes and raw energy, just like the man himself.
And now, this painting is probably looking for a home instead of my storage. As I said, I am not even sure if I still have it.
