Tampa Cardinals
| Founded | 1926 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1926 |
| Based in | Barnstorming |
| League | Independent |
| Team history | Tampa Cardinals (game 1) Haven-Villas (game 2) St. Petersburg Cardinals (game 3-4) Lena Vistas (5) |
| Team colors |
Cardinal red, White, |
| Head coaches | Jim Thorpe |
| General managers | Jim Thorpe |
| Owner(s) | Jim Thorpe |
The Tampa Cardinals was a barnstorming football team, that played pick-up games, led by future pro football hall of famer, Jim Thorpe in 1926. During the time, the team was also billed as the St. Petersburg Cardinals and as Lena Vistas. The team was originally organized to play a New Year's Day exhibition against the Chicago Bears of the National Football League in what would be Tampa’s first professional football game. However the team would later pick up four other games while in Florida. The team has also been referred to as Thorpe's Cardinals.
After the 1925 season, Thorpe formed a team composed primarily of Thorpe's teammates from the NFL’s Rock Island Independents, that would play several games throughout Florida. In a 1926 New Year's Day football exhibition, the Cardinals played against the Chicago Bears led by Red Grange. The game itself was billed as a clash of old vs. new, with Grange, the rising star, taking on Thorpe, the aging legend. During the game Grange rushed for a 70-yard touchdown as the Bears notched a 17-3 victory at Plant Field.
After the game Thorpe and the core of his Cardinals team remained in Florida to play a few mercenary games under various other names. One game was a win over a Sarasota team constructed by former Florida Gator Robbie Robinson. One week, the Cards were hired to supplement the line-up of the Haven-Villa of Winter Haven, a local club playing out of Winter Haven. The Villas were set to square-off against the Millville Big Blue, a successful independent club from New Jersey that was headed up by Guy Chamberlin. Chamberlin was a friend and former teammate of Thorpes during their time with the Canton Bulldogs. Despite being scheduled to appear, Thorpe did not take the field during the game. The exact reason for his absence is not clear. The Cardinals, would go on to lose the game 28-7.
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