Tampa Cardinals

The Tampa Cardinals, was a football barnstorming 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.