Jim Thorpe was born circa May 28, 1887, near current-day Prague, Oklahoma. An All-American in football at the Carlisle Indian School, he won the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics before his gold medals were revoked on a technicality.Apr 2, 2014. Jim Thorpe has been heralded as the greatest athlete ever, certainly the most accomplished of the first half of the 20th century and He simultaneously played professional baseball and football, interchanging his sport by the seasons.Oct 24, 2015.