Frederick Douglas Pollard, better known as Fritz Pollard born on January 27th, 1894, in Chicago, Illinois. Pollard attended Brown University in Rhode Island. Pollard played football for Brown University, where he played halfback and helped the university make it to the Rose Bowl in 1916.
Pollard became the first-ever African American to be selected to Walter Camp’s All-American team. Pollard was known for his exceptional running ability while playing. After successfully coaching at the collegiate level, he returned to playing football. He played professionally for the Akron Pros in the APFA (American Professional Football Association), now known worldwide as the NFL.
Pollard helped lead the Akron Pros to the APFA championship in 1920, and then in 1921, he was co-head coach while maintaining his roster spot as a running back. He continued to play and coach throughout the next couple of years before being removed from the APFA along with nine other African American players.
In the 1930s, he founded his own team, the Harlem Brown Bombers, which came to an end in 1938 because of the Great Depression. The Harlem Brown Bombers gave African American football players a platform to showcase their talents. Despite having extremely talented players, the economic hardships made it nearly impossible to sustain a professional football team.
Pollard has paved the way for many current and future players and coaches. A handful of the 32 have African American coaches on their staffs, and there are several African American players on active rosters.
Fritz Pollard was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 after passing away in 1982. He left behind a legacy forever be remembered as one of trailblazing excellence and perseverance, breaking racial barriers in sports and being a key figure in American Football.
