Frederick Douglass “Fritz” Pollard—February 10, 2021 I know TB12 has been the topic of conversation at some water coolers and maybe you would like to add to that conversation?

Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard was born on January 27, 1894, in , Illinois. He felt the sting of racism as an African-American child growing up in the predominantly white neighborhood of Rogers Park, but he won admirers with his athletic accomplishments at Lane Tech High, where he was a three-time county track champion, a gifted baseball player and star on the football gridiron. A proud recipient of the Rockefeller scholarship which allowed Pollard to attend Brown University in 1915, where he broke racial barriers while achieving distinction on the football gridiron. As a two time All-American, Pollard became a standout despite his modest 5'9", 165-pound stature. He was the first African-American to play in the Rose Bowl at the end of the 1915 season, and in 1916, he led Brown to back-to- back wins over Ivy League powerhouses Harvard and Yale en route to an 8-1 overall record. For his efforts, he was honored as the first African-American named to 's All-American team. After leaving Brown University, Pollard served his country during the first World War as Director of the Army YMCA. Fritz Pollard turned professional when he joined the . In 1920, the Pros joined the newly founded American Professional Football Association, later renamed the . That season, with Pollard leading the charge, the Pros went undefeated (8-0-3) to win the league's first crown. As a member of the new league, Pollard immediately earned a place in pro football history as he and Bobby Marshall were the first two African Americans in the new league. In 1921 he earned another distinction becoming the first African American head coach in NFL history when the Pros named him co-coach of the team. During the 1923 season, Pollard signed with the Badgers for whom he became the first African American in NFL history. During his pro career, Pollard played and coached four different NFL teams, the Pros/Indians (1920-21/1925-26), the (1922), the (1923, 1925), and the Providence Steam Roller (1925). Fritz also spent time in 1923 and 1924 playing for the Gilberton Cadamounts, a strong independent pro team in the Pennsylvania “Coal League. A "gentlemen's agreement" struck by NFL owners in 1933 prevented the signing of more black players. After ending his career following the 1926 season, Pollard organized the Chicago Black Hawks, an all- African-American professional team. Seeking to demonstrate that blacks and whites could compete without incident on the field, Pollard arranged exhibition games with teams throughout the city and brought the Black Hawks to warmer West Coast climates during the winter. During their three-year run from 1929-32, they were among the most popular draws in the sport. Fritz was involved in several successful business enterprises during and after his professional football career. He founded the F.D. Pollard and Co. investment firm in 1922 to serve the African- American community, and in 1935 he founded the New York Independent News, the first black tabloid. Pollard also worked as a casting agent, studio manager and producer in the entertainment industry, as well as a tax consultant. In 1954, Pollard was the first African-American elected to the National College Football Hall of Fame. He was elected to the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1967, and in 1981 he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Brown University. Pollard died on May 11, 1986, at age 92. In 2005, the football pioneer received a long-overdue honor with his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His name lives on through the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which was founded in 2003 to help promote the hiring of minorities in the NFL.