| Joe Little Twig | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1893 |
| Place of birth | Hogansburg, New York, United States |
| Date of death | March 6, 1939 |
| Place of death | Canton, Ohio, United States |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 183 pounds (83 kg) |
| Position(s) | Offensive Lineman |
| College | Carlisle Indian School |
| Jersey Number | 5 |
| Career highlights | |
| Honors | GB Press-Gazette: 1st team all-NFL (1924) |
| Statistics | |
| Teams | |
| 1922-1923 1924-1925 1926 1926 |
Oorang Indians Rock Island Independents Akron Indians Canton Bulldogs |
Joseph Little Twig (Johnson) was a professional football player, who played during the early years of the National Football League.
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Joe, a member of the Mohawk nation, first played football at Catarague Indian School and then at the Carlisle Indian School located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In 1922, he joined the Oorang Indians; Jim Thorpe's All Indian Football team in LaRue, Ohio. He spent two years with the Indians. After the franchise folded in 1923, Joe and Thorpe joined the Rock Island Independents for the 1924 and 1925 seasons. He finished his NFL career in 1926, playing with the Akron Indians and the Canton Bulldogs.
Before starting his NFL career, Joe served in the United States Army from 1917 until 1921. He was stationed overseas during World War I. In 1927, Joe joined the Canton Police Department. While on the police force, he served as a patrolman on motorcycle duty. He left the force in 1931.
In 1929 Joe married Gertrude Hale. Jim Thorpe attended the ceremony and acted as best man. In 1935 Joe divorced his first wife and married a Mrs. Winfield. With this wife Joe had two daughters Norma Jean and JoAnn.
Joe died on March 6, 1939 when his automobile struck a tree at the bottom of a hill in Canton, Ohio.