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However, it was in football where Thorpe first gained national prominence. Playing multiple positions as a running back, defensive back, place kicker, and punter, he led the Carlisle team to national championships in 1911 and 1912 and was named a consensus first-team All-American in 1912. His growing prowess in athletics caught the attention of the sports world, setting the stage for his participation in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.