Jim Thorpe Trophy

For the college football award for defensive backs, see Jim Thorpe Award.

The Jim Thorpe Memorial Trophy[1] was an American football award presented by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) to the most valuable player (MVP) of the National Football League (NFL) from 1955 to 2008.[2][3] It was the only NFL MVP award whose winner was chosen by a poll of NFL players.[4][5] By 1975, the Jim Thorpe Trophy was described by the TimesDaily as "one of the pros' most coveted honors."[6] In 1983, the Del Rio News Herald called it the "highest professional football award, period."[7] Earl Campbell was the first player to win the award in consecutive seasons,[8] capturing three straight from 1978 to 1980.[9] Quarterbacks Charlie Conerly (1959) and Roman Gabriel (1969) won the trophy despite not being voted to the NEA's All-Pro first team in their respective seasons—Johnny Unitas was named to the first team over Conerly, while Sonny Jurgensen got the nod over Gabriel.[10][11][12]

The award was founded by Murray Olderman, a sportswriter and cartoonist for the NEA.[1][13][14] It was named in honor of Jim Thorpe, a professional football pioneer who was a player and the first president of what became the NFL.[1][15][16] At the award's inception, Olderman sent ballots to every player in the league.[17][18] Coaches joined the players in the voting process in 1975.[19] Starting in 1987, the award became a joint project between the NEA, Jim Thorpe Association, and National Football League Players Association (NFLPA).[20] Olderman also left the NEA that year and ended his association with the award.[18] The NFLPA took over the balloting and added Pro Football Hall of Fame members to the voting panel in place of coaches.[21][22]

The first recipient of the Jim Thorpe Trophy was Harlon Hill of the Chicago Bears, who was presented the trophy by NEA sports editor Harry Grayson in a televised halftime ceremony from the 1956 Pro Bowl in Los Angeles.[15] In addition to Pro Bowl halftimes,[23] subsequent years also saw the presentation televised on the final regular season weekend in either a pregame or halftime event.[24][25] It was even on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1958.[26] The presentation moved to the pregame show for the NFL championship game starting in 1961.[27] In 1967, the winner was presented the trophy in a party at CBS Television City in Los Angeles for NEA's All-Pro selections, which was filmed and shown nationally during halftime of the Pro Bowl.[28] In subsequent years, CBS aired a half-hour special before the Pro Bowl featuring the Jim Thorpe Trophy winner along with the All-Pros.[29][30] After years of holding an awards banquet in New York, the ceremony was discontinued around 1980. Olderman and the NEA sought a sponsor.[31] The Jim Thorpe Association of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, took over the presentation of the trophy in 1987,[32] presenting it at the existing awards banquet for their Jim Thorpe Award, which honors the top defensive back in college football.[31] The NFL trophy was redesigned that year to feature a bronze statuette of Jim Thorpe.[33]

  1. ^ a b c Grayson, Harry (December 16, 1960). "Thorpe NFL's 1st President". Meridien Journal. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 5. Retrieved June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Griese Voted Most Valuable". The Herald Journal. NEA. January 11, 1972. p. 5. Retrieved June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference pfr was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Bentley, Mark (April 26, 1992). "OSU Golfers Favored in Big Eight". The Sunday Oklahoman. Section B, p. 5. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Olderman, Murray (December 16, 1960). "Van Brocklin Gets Jim Thorpe Trophy". The Telegraph. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 12. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  6. ^ Stout, Harold (October 26, 1975). "Harlon Hill Elected for Hall of Fame". Times Daily. p. 23. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  7. ^ Guys, Carl (January 17, 1983). "Guys Guff". Del Rio News Herald. p. 5. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Olderman, Murray (January 11, 1980). "Earl Campbell — top NFLer again". Alberni Valley Times. NEA. p. 6. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Olderman, Murray (January 16, 1981). "Earl Campbell wins Thorpe Trophy". Ukiah Daily Journal. p. 6. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference olderman_12251969 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Olderman, Murray (December 15, 1959). "Colta And Giants Dominate Players' All-Pro Grid Squad". The Salisbury Times. NEA. p. 17. Retrieved July 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Gillingham, Robinson Picked NEA All-Pros". The Sheboygan Press. December 22, 1969. p. 45. Retrieved July 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Siner, Howard (May 26, 1993). "Murray Olderman is a Hall of Famer". Daily Chronicle. DeKalb/Sycamore, Illinois. NEA. p. 15. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Horgan, Richard (May 21, 2014). "SO WHAT DO YOU DO, MURRAY OLDERMAN, ICONIC SPORTS JOURNALIST AND CARTOONIST?". Media Bistro. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015.
  15. ^ a b Olderman, Murray (December 14, 1955). "Harlon Hill, Small School Grad, Wins First Jim Thorpe Trophy". Blytheville Courier News. NEA. p. 15. Retrieved June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Sanders earns Jim Thore Honor". News Herlad. Port Clinton, Ohio. Associated Press. February 24, 1998. p. A7. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Norm Van Brocklin Awarded Sixth Jim Thorpe Award". Public Opinion. Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. NEA. December 16, 1960. p. 10. Retrieved June 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b Olderman, Murray (2017). The Draw of Sport. Fantagraphics Books. p. 48. ISBN 9781606999950.
  19. ^ "NEA: Tarkenton is MVP". The Daily Tribune. Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. NEA. January 26, 1976. p. 7. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Thorpe To Another 49er". Daily Record. Morristown, New Jersey. January 30, 1990. p. B5. Retrieved June 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Robinson, Greg (February 10, 1991). "Moon Garners NFL's Most Valuable Player Award". Del Rio News Herald. p. 12A. Retrieved June 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Thomas Nets Thorpe Title". The Daily Oklahoman. March 4, 1992. p. 25. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "John Unitas MVP By Pros". The Napa Register. NEA. December 19, 1957. p. 12. Retrieved June 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "New York Giants' Gifford Receives Jim Thorpe Trophy". The Daily Inter Lake. NEA. December 24, 1956. p. 5. Retrieved June 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Olderman, Murray (December 12, 1959). "Conerly, 38, Wins Pros' Jim Thorpe Trophy". Journal-Every Evening. p. 24. Retrieved June 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Between You'n Me". Reno Evening Gazette. December 31, 1958. p. 27. Retrieved June 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Olderman, Murray (December 26, 1961). "Tittle To Get 7th Annial Jim Thorpe Memorial Award". The Raleigh Register. p. 11. Retrieved June 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ Olderman, Murray (January 9, 1968). "Nobody Else in Unitas' Class During 1967 season: Starr". The Marshfield News-Herald. NEA. p. 14. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Special to Present Pro Team". The Pottstown Mercury. January 17, 1970. p. A6. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "NFL's Top Four Honored At Pro Bowl". The Hillsdale Daily News. NEA. January 22, 1973. p. 8. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ a b Lassiter, Jim (May 28, 1987). "Thorpe Athletic Club Plans To Honor Top NFL Player". The Oklahoman. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  32. ^ Cite error: The named reference oklahoman_09241995 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  33. ^ "Jim Thorpe Trophy For Most Valuable Player in the NFL". The Sunday Oklahoman. November 8, 1992. Jim Thorpe Marathon Festival supplement. Retrieved July 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.