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{{Short description|American football player (1898–1964)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox gridiron football person
| name = Nick Lassa
| image = Nick Lassa.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1898|7|11}}
| birth_place = [[Flathead Indian Reservation]], [[Montana]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1964|9|4|1898|7|11}}
| death_place =
| team =
| number =
| status =
| position1 = [[Tackle (American football position)|Tackle]], [[Center (American football)|center]], [[Guard (American football)|guard]], [[End (American football)|end]]
| uniform_number = 14 (1922)<br/>7 (1923)
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 205
| high_school = [[Carlisle Indian School|Carlisle Indian]]<br/>[[Haskell Institute|Haskell Indian]]
| playing_years1 = 1922–1923
| playing_team1 = [[Oorang Indians]]
| career_highlights = * Wrestled a bear in one of the first ever [[halftime show]]s
| NFL = LAS498378
| DatabaseFootball = LASSANIC01
}}
'''Nicholas Anthony Lassa''', (July 11, 1898 – September 4, 1964) more popularly referred to as '''Long Time Sleep''', was a professional [[American football]] player from the [[Flathead Indian Reservation]] in Montana.

==Biography==
Born on July 11, 1898, Lassa was [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] and a member of the Pend d'Orielle tribe, one of three members of the confederated tribes of the [[Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation|Flathead]] reservation in Montana. He was given the name, Long Time Sleep, by his teammates because he was difficult to wake up in the morning. <ref name="PFRA4">{{Cite journal |title=NFL History: CSKT Member Nick Lasso And The Oorong Indian Football Team Were A Crowd Favorite In 1922–1923 |url=https://www.sktcorp.com/nfl-history-cskt-member-nick-lasso-and-the-oorong-indian-football-team-were-a-crowd-favorite-in-1922-1923/ |journal=S&K Technologies, Inc. |publisher=S&K News Journal}}</ref>

Lassa attended and played [[college football]] at the [[Carlisle Indian School]] and [[Haskell Institute]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL Players who attended Haskell Indian Nations University |url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/bycollege.htm?sch=Haskell+Indian+Nations+University |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307203003/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/bycollege.htm?sch=Haskell+Indian+Nations+University |archive-date=March 7, 2008 |access-date=January 30, 2014 |publisher=databaseSports.com}}</ref> Lassa eventually played in the [[National Football League]] in 1922 with the [[Oorang Indians]].

The Oorang Indians were an all-Native American football team based in [[La Rue, Ohio]] and formed by [[Walter Lingo]] in 1922 to help promote his [[Airedale]] kennel. The team was organized by [[Jim Thorpe]], who served the team as a [[player-coach]].<ref name="PFRA1">{{Cite journal |last=Braunwart, Bob |last2=Bob Carroll |last3=Joe Horrigan |year=1981 |title=The Oorang Indians |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/03-01-057.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Coffin Corner |publisher=Professional Football Researchers Association |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=1–17 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127050226/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/03-01-057.pdf |archivedate=2010-11-27}}</ref> When the team formed, Lassa was the first player to arrive in La Rue.<ref name="PFRA2">{{Cite journal |last=Willis, Chris |title=Remembering the Oorang Indians |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/24-03-943.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Coffin Corner |publisher=Professional Football Researchers Association |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=1–3 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226105917/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/24-03-943.pdf |archivedate=2012-02-26}}</ref>

Aside from football, Lassa enjoyed wrestling. He would make up to $50 ({{inflation|US|50|1922|fmt=eq}}){{inflation/fn|US}} for wrestling matches throughout the area. In fact he is most remembered for wrestling a bear as part of a [[halftime show]] of one of the Indians' games. Lassa would usually win $10–$20 (equivalent to ${{inflation|US|10|1922}}–${{inflation|US|20|1922}} in {{inflation/year|US}}){{inflation/fn|US}} per match, which would allow the whole team to go out partying all night.<ref name="PFRA1" /><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=D'Ambrosio |first=Brian |date=March 8, 2021 |title=The Forgotten Legend of Nick Lassa |url=https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/03/08/forgotten-legend-nick-lassa/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310231011/https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/03/08/forgotten-legend-nick-lassa/ |archive-date=2021-03-10 |magazine=Flathead Living |publisher=Flathead Beacon Productions |accessdate=May 2, 2024}}</ref>

After the team folded in 1923, Lassa stayed near LaRue, earning his living as a professional wrestler and [[Strongman (strength athlete)|strongman]]. He also stayed on working for Lingo and several of the other farmers in the area. He finally left the area in the early 1930s. He reportedly gave up drinking, raised a family, and became a respected member of his community.<ref name="PFRA2" /> Lassa died on September 4, 1964.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Oorang Indians}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lassa, Nick}}
[[Category:1898 births]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]
[[Category:Carlisle Indians football players]]
[[Category:Haskell Indian Nations Fighting Indians football players]]
[[Category:Oorang Indians players]]
[[Category:American male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Montana]]
[[Category:Professional wrestlers from Montana]]
[[Category:Native American professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:Native American players of American football]]
[[Category:People from LaRue, Ohio]]
[[Category:Blackfoot people]]

Nick Lassa - Revision history

imported>GreenC bot: Reformat 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:USURPURL and JUDI batch #22ab