Photo Caption: Left: Nick Lassa (kneeing center, second row) with his teammates, including Olympic gold medalist Jim Thorpe (fifth from the left, standing behind him).
One of the earliest and most colorful figures in football history — though largely forgotten today — is Nick Lassa, a member of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes (CSKT). His remarkable journey reflects the historic ties between the NFL and Native American athletes.
Lassa played as a guard for the Oorang Indians, an all-Native American team based in La Rue, Ohio, during the 1922 and 1923 NFL seasons. The team, founded by world-renowned athlete and Olympian Jim Thorpe, was known for its athletic prowess and lively halftime shows. Among his teammates, Lassa was affectionately nicknamed “Long Time Sleep” due to the challenge of waking him up in the mornings.
Born on July 11, 1898, on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Lassa was a member of the Pend d’Orielle Tribe, one of the three tribes that form the CSKT. His early education took him to the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania at age 14, a school famous for producing outstanding Native American athletes. He later attended Haskell Indian Institute in Kansas, where he continued to develop his athletic abilities.
Nick Lassa stood out for his strength and personality. He was known to bring a pet coyote with him from the Reservation and became a fan favorite for his halftime wrestling matches with a bear — a spectacle that thrilled crowds of over 5,000 fans, each paying around $1.75 per ticket. Despite the Oorang Indians’ popularity, the team folded after just two seasons. Lassa remained in Ohio, working as a professional wrestler and circus strongman.
By the early 1930s, Lassa had returned to the Flathead Indian Reservation, where he became a respected tribal leader. He served on the Tribal Council for the CSKT and often used his fluency in the Salish language to translate for visitors during council meetings. Elders from the community still recall his larger-than-life presence, especially at Pow Wows, where his size and playful demeanor left a lasting impression on children.
Nick Lassa passed away in 1964, but his legacy endures as a symbol of Native American contributions to the early NFL and his impact on his tribal community.
