Tom Thorp
Thorp, c. 1922
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| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born | c. 1882 New York, New York |
| Died | July 6, 1942 Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Playing career | |
| 1903–1904 | Columbia |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1912–1913 | Fordham |
| 1922–1924 | NYU |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 21–17–4 |
Thomas J. "Tom" Thorp (c. 1882 – July 6, 1942) was an American football player and coach, sports writer, and football and horse racing official. He served as the head football at Fordham University from 1912 to 1913 and at New York University (NYU) from 1922 to 1924, compiling a career college football record of 21–17–4.
Thorp was a native of New York City, born and raised in the neighborhood known as the "Roaring Forties." He enrolled at Columbia University where he played at the tackle position for the school's football teams in 1903 and 1904. He was among the first non-Ivy League players to be named to Walter Camp's All-America team, and was selected as an All-American in both 1903 and 1904. In October 1905, amid the movement to eradicate professionalism from college football, Columbia's faculty dropped Thorp from the university. The New York Times wrote that Thorp had been "the backbone" of the team and reported that Thorp's expulsion was "the worst blow that Columbia football has received" and a move that "cast the gloom of despair" over the prospects for the Columbia football team in 1905. Upon being expelled from Columbia, Thorp sought admission to Cornell, but he was not able to acquire advance standing. Thorp next went to the University of Virginia, where he was enrolled and played football.
In the late 1900s, Thorp was hired as a sports writer for the New York Journal. He also worked for a time for the New York American and the New York World. He continued to work as a journalist until 1936, when he became employed as a full-time official at horse racing tracks. Following his death in 1942, he was remembered as "a bona fide newspaperman, which is to say ... he was an able, news-chasing, news-writing reporter."
Thorp was head coach at Fordham for the 1912 and 1913 seasons, where he compiled a record of 7 wins, 7 losses, and 2 ties.
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