Oorang Indians
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| Founded | 1922 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1923 |
| Based in | LaRue, Ohio, United States |
| League | National Football League |
| Team history | Oorang Indians (1922–23) |
| Team colors |
Burgundy, Gold, White |
| Head coaches | Jim Thorpe |
| General managers | Jim Thorpe |
| Owner(s) | Walter Lingo |
| Mascot(s) | Walter Lingo's Airedale Dogs |
| Named for | Oorang Dog Kennels All-Native American Team |
| Home field(s) | Traveling Team |
Burgundy, Gold, White
The Oorang Indians /ˈuːˌræŋ/ were a traveling team in the National Football League from LaRue, Ohio (near Marion). The franchise was a novelty team put together by Walter Lingo to market his Oorang dog kennels. All of the Indians players were Native American, with Jim Thorpe serving as its leading player and coach. The team played in the National Football League in 1922 and 1923. Of the 20 games they played over two seasons, only one was played at "home" in nearby Marion. With a population well under a thousand people, LaRue remains the smallest town ever to have been the home of an NFL franchise, or probably any professional team in any league in the United States.
In 1919 Oorang Kennel owner, Walter Lingo, met and became friends with Jim Thorpe of the Canton Bulldogs, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer who was considered the greatest athlete of his time. Lingo had had a deep passion for the Airedales, which he raised, and for Native American culture. LaRue, Ohio, was once the site of an old Wyandot village and Lingo believed that a supernatural bond existed between the Indians and the Airedales. Thorpe first came to Lingo's defense after neighboring farmers accused Lingo's Oorang Kennels of raising "a nation of sheep killers". Thorpe came to Lingo's aid by testifying that he once knew an Oorang Airedale that had saved the life of a 6-year-old girl, named Mabel, from being trampled by a bull. Afterwards, Lingo and Thorpe became friends and soon began hunting together.
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