By Darin Hayes Joe Guyon was Jim Thorpe’s teammate at Carlisle, and from there he moved on to be an All-American tackle at Georgia Tech in 1918 and also saw a National Championship with the Jackets in 1917. He might be more famous for his role in professional football, though.
Joe Guyon (Joseph Napoleon Guyon) was born on November 26, 1892, on the White Earth Reservation in Mahnomen, Minnesota. A versatile and powerful player of Ojibwa (Chippewa) descent, Guyon was one of professional football’s earliest stars and an essential link between the college powerhouse era and the nascent NFL.
In professional football, though, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s bio, he was a triple-threat halfback who played for the Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Cowboys, Oorang Indians, Rock Island Independents, and New York Giants. He helped the Giants claim the NFL Championship in 1927. The fantastic thing is that he played on all of these teams and accomplished so much in just 8 seasons in the League. The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted Joe Guyon in the entry class of 1966.
Accolades and Accomplishments
College Career (Carlisle Indian School & Georgia Tech):
- National Champion (1917) with Georgia Tech.
- Consensus All-American (1918) as a Tackle for Georgia Tech.
- Two-Position All-American Honors: Honored as a Halfback (Second-team, 1913, at Carlisle) and as a Tackle (First-team, 1918, at Georgia Tech).
- Teammate of Jim Thorpe at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (1912–1913).
- Rushed for 344 yards in a single game against Vanderbilt in 1917 (verified record).
- College Football Hall of Fame Inductee (1971).
Professional Career (NFL/APFA):
- NFL Champion (1927) with the New York Giants.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee (1966).
- Triple-Threat Halfback known for running, passing, and punting.
- Second-team All-Pro (1920) and Third-team All-Pro (1924).
- Played on multiple early professional teams, including the Canton Bulldogs and the Oorang Indians (with Jim Thorpe).
- Totaled 7 rushing touchdowns, 2 passing touchdowns, and 3 interception touchdowns in his documented NFL/APFA career (1920-1927).