Born in 1888 in what would soon be Oklahoma Territory, Jim Thorpe was a member of the Sac and Fox Nation. After attending the Sac and Fox agency school and Haskell Indian Junior College in Lawrence, Kansas, he transferred to Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. At Carlisle he led the football team to victories over some of the nation’s best college teams—Army, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska. In 1912 he participated in the Olympic Games in Stockholm, winning both the decathlon and pentathlon. It was then that King Gustav V of Sweden dubbed him “the world’s greatest athlete.” Between 1913 and 1919, Thorpe played professional baseball for the New York Giants, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Boston Braves. In 1915 he began playing professional football with the Canton (Ohio) Bulldogs. When the top teams were organized into the American Professional Football Association in 1920, Thorpe was named the first president of the organization, renamed the National Football League in 1922. Throughout his career he excelled in every sport he played, earning King Gustav’s accolade many times over.

Jim Thorpe, an Oklahoma-born Native American, played pro baseball in New York, Cincinnati, and Boston, but he was an even better football player. In the 1912 Olympic Games, he won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon events, showcasing his exceptional athletic talents.

Tells the life story of athlete Jim Thorpe, star of the 1912 Olympic Games and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Written in graphic-novel format.

Born in 1888 in Oklahoma Territory, Jim Thorpe was a Sac and Fox Indian. In 1912 he participated in the Olympic Games in Stockholm, winning both the decathlon and pentathlon. It was then that King Gustav V of Sweden dubbed him "the world's greatest athlete."

A biography of Jim Thorpe, one of the greatest all-around athletes in history.