Why is Jim Thorpe important to the history of football
Jim Thorpe is, was and probably always will be rated as everybody's all-time All-American. Even though there are more Indians in the United States today than at the time Columbus "discovered" America the chances of another Jim Thorpe are quite remote. He could pass and kick for more than 100 yards, with a 90 yard punt standing as an "official" record.
Those were the days of the "fat" football. What he could do with today's streamlined "pigskin" is a matter of conjecture. When the chips were down and his team needed a touchdown Jim Thorpe could and did run through solid walls of hard charging opponents. As player-coach of the famous Canton, Ohio Bulldogs he helped give Pro-Football a firm foundation in the years following World War I.
