Fritz Pollard

NFL PlayerCoach | name=Fritz Pollard


DateOfBirth=January 27, 1894
Birthplace=Chicago
DateOfDeath=May 11, 1986
College=Brown
Position=Running back/ Quarterback
Head Coach
Awards=
Honors=College Football HOF
Records=
Retired #s=
Record=8-4-1
player=yes
years=1919-1921
1922
1923
1923-1924
1925
1925
1925-1926
teams=Akron Pros
Milwaukee Badgers
Hammond Pros
Gilberton Cadamounts
Providence Steam Roller
Milwaukee Badgers
Akron Pros/Indians
coach=yes
coachingyears=1919
1925
coachingteams=Akron Pros
Hammond Pros
DatabaseFootball=POLLAFRI01
DatabaseFootballCoach=POLLAFRI01
CollegeHOF=10003
HOF=242
HOFYear=2005

Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard (January 27, 1894 – May 11, 1986) was the first African American head coach in the National Football League (NFL). Pollard along with Bobby Marshall were the first two African American players in the NFL in 1920. Sportswriter Walter Camp, ranked Pollard as "one of the greatest runners these eyes have ever seen."

Early life

Pollard graduated from Lane Tech high school in Chicago where he ran track. Pollard played college football at Brown University. He played in the 1916 Rose Bowl.

Pollard was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

Professional football player

He later played professional football with the Akron Pros, the team he would lead to the NFL (APFA) championship in 1920. In 1921, he became the co-head coach of the Akron Pros, while still maintaining his roster position as running back. He also played for the Milwaukee Badgers, Hammond Pros, Gilberton Cadamounts, and Providence Steam Roller. Some sources indicate that Pollard also served as co-coach of the Milwaukee Badgers with Al Garrett for part of the 1922 season. He also coached the non NFL team Gilberton in 1923 and is believed to have had some coaching duties with Hammond in 1923 as well.

Chicago Black Hawks football team

In 1928, Pollard organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-African American professional team. The Black Hawks played against white teams around Chicago, but enjoyed their greatest success by scheduling exhibition games against West Coast teams during the winter months.

Legacy

In 2005, Pollard was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Fritz Pollard appears as a free agent running back in Meme Madden NFL 08 and appears as part of the Hall of Fame feature.

Pollard's son Frederick Pollard, Jr. won the bronze medal for 110 m hurdles at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

A group promoting minority hiring throughout the NFL is named for Pollard, the Fritz Pollard Alliance

Brown University and the Black Coaches Association co-sponsor the annual Fritz Pollard Award, which is presented to the college or professional coach chosen by the BCA as coach of the year. [Brown University - [http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2003-04/03-078.html Brown University and the Black Coaches Association establish annual Fritz Pollard Award] February 18, 2004]

ee also

*List of African American firsts

References

* [http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=242 Pro Football Hall of Fame Bio]
* [http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=10003 College Football Hall of Fame Bio]
* [http://www.fritzpollard.com Official Pollard website]
* [http://www.fpal.org Fritz Pollard Alliance]
*Brown Football media guide (PDF copy available at [http://brownbears.cstv.com brownbears.cstv.com]
* [http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2003-04/03-078f.html Fritz Pollard and early African American professional football players] (Brown University) February 18, 2004