The Native American Who Won Two Olympic Gold Medals – Then Had His Titles Taken Away Before History Finally Reversed The Decision

Thorpe became the centerpiece of Carlisle football, named to Walter Camp’s All-America team in both 1911 and 1912.

In 1911, he scored all of Carlisle’s points in an 18-15 upset of Harvard.

In 1912, the Carlisle team went 12-1-1, led the nation in scoring, and defeated an Army team that included a young Dwight Eisenhower — who would speak of Thorpe with something approaching awe fifty years later.

But football, however significant at Carlisle, was not why Jim Thorpe would be remembered for more than a century.

That was track and field, and specifically the multi-event competitions at the 1912 Olympics — competitions he had never before attempted at the highest level.