Pollard, Fritz
1894-1986 · Contribution: 1920-1921
Football player and coach
One of the first two African American players in the NFL; first Black head coach in professional sports history
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1894, Chicago, Illinois
- Active since
- 1919
- Category
- Sports & Athletics
- Best known for
- First Black head coach in professional sports
Impact on the world
Pollard integrated the early NFL as both a star player and its first Black head coach, before an unwritten ban pushed Black players out of the league for over a decade.
Sources
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
1 more sources and references are available to members.
Related visionaries
Washington, Kenny
1918-1971
First African American to sign an NFL contract in the modern post-World War II era
Shell, Art
1946-
First Black head coach in the modern era of the NFL
Dungy, Tony
1955-
First African American head coach to win a Super Bowl
Harris, James 'Shack'
1947-
First Black quarterback to start a season opener in the AFL or NFL (1969); first to start and win an NFL playoff game, and first named Pro Bowl MVP (1974)