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Fritz Pollard
American football player and coach (1894–1986)
Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard (January 27, 1894 – May 11, 1986) was an American professional football player and coach. In 1921, he became the first African-American head coach in the National Football League (NFL). Pollard and Bobby Marshall were the first two African-American players in the NFL in 1920.
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He is also recognized as the first Black quarterback in NFL history, playing the position for the Hammond Pros in 1923. Football pioneer Walter Camp called Pollard "one of the greatest runners these eyes have ever seen." Pollard was born in Chicago to John W. Pollard, a barber and Union army veteran, and Catherine Amanda Hughes Pollard, a seamstress. Pollard's siblings included advertising executive Luther J. Pollard and librarian Naomi Pollard Dobson. He attended Albert G. Lane Manual Training High School in Chicago, also known as "Lane Tech," where he played football, baseball, and ran track. He then went to Brown University, majoring in chemistry. He was also initiated into the Alpha Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at Brown University.
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