His white teammates had high respect for Pollard and often stuck up for him as he faced discrimination. On those eight touches, Pollard has totaled 113 yards (14.1 per . They lost the game through lack of rest." Pollard attended Melrose High School, where he played high school football. As a player, coach and team owner, he was as important as any single figure in helping to put the league on a course to become the sprawling multibillion-dollar juggernaut that it is today. Getty Images. "Crack Lincoln University Team Coached by Fritz Pollard". The Pollards have been Barbequing for four generations. [1] He helped the team reach the playoffs, while making over 1,200 receiving yards, 20 touchdowns and being named All-District 16-AAA. But I was there to play football. Pollard's Barber Shop was a popular neighbourhood hang-out and the Pollard boys played football for hours in the local park. Since Pollard got here in 2019, he has 10 runs of 20 yards or more in 203 carries about one every 20 rushing attempts. He founded the first African-American investment firm: F.D. Read about our approach to external linking. Pollard died in 1986 at 92, outliving his rival, George Halas, by three years. Marshall was an avowed segregationist who owned the Washington football franchise from its inception in 1932 to his death in 1969. I'd rather watch him do it.". [15] During Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins, Pollard posted his first career 100+-yard game as he finished with 103 rushing yards on 13 carries and a touchdown as the Cowboys won 316. IE 11 is not supported. A standout athlete at Brown University, Pollard also qualified for the 1916 Olympics in Berlin for the low hurdles, but the games were cancelled after the outbreak of World War I. Then came a telegram that changed everything. I was there to play football and make my money.. Fritz Pollard Jr suffered from Alzheimer's during the final years of his life, but just before he died there was a moment of clarity. Sometimes Pollard's team stayed in centre-field at half-time rather than run the gauntlet of going into the locker room. This article is about the football pioneer. In fact, he helped it change. There was one Black head coach in the NFL in 1921 when a tiny, incrediblyfast running back named Fritz Pollard was hired to coach theAkron Pros at the same time he played for the team. [10], Fritz also coached the Gilberton Cadamounts, a non-NFL team. "Hammond and Milwaukee were bad, but never as bad as Akron. But the discussion of balance that was all about run vs. pass after Tampa Bay should shift to the balancing act the two running backs necessitate. "Becausethey didn't want him in the locker room.". This February, Sports Illustrated is celebrating Black History Month by spotlighting a different iconic athlete every day. Pollard was not the first black athlete paid to play football, but he was the first to star in the confederation of Midwestern franchises that became the National Football League. Something like that. His professional career was finally about to begin. and three touchdowns. He was honoured instead at a separate banquet held by a local black business association. Pollard's magic on the field created a following for the NFL. The play that ended Tony Pollard's postseason had huge ramifications on the Cowboys offense in . One of his team-mates, Irving Fraser, later told Pollard's biographer Jay Berry: "When he was tackled, they'd all pile on him and see if they could make him quit. Pollard attended Albert G. Lane Manual Training High School in Chicago, also known as "Lane Tech," where he played football, baseball, and ran track. As he walked on, he wouldheartaunts shouted from the stands. Pollard got all of 13 carries and turned it into 109 yards, his second biggest day as a pro. ", "I will never tell a child again to sit down. Doyel: 100 years ago, the NFL took its first baby steps in Indiana. The opposing teams gave me hell too.". Tony Pollard broke his left . Pollard is severely underpaid as a mid-round draft pick. He also founded an all-black football team in Harlem that was unsuccessful in luring local NFL teams to play exhibition games. When they tell you something that they want to do, listen. Marshall's Washington team was the last to sign a black player - after the government threatened to revoke the team's lease on their publicly funded stadium if they did not. He averaged 30.1 yards per return. Get the latest news. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 3:09. They believe that Black head coaches are not fit to be leaders of men.". Pollard's father had been a boxer who fought professionally during the Civil War. "My son is on TV playing for the Cowboys? "You just lived with it. The Rooney Rule, however, doesn't require hiring of Black coaches, only interviewing them, said Solomon. Zeke is 25th in rushing and averaging 3.9 per carry. Fritz Pollard, the Brown University halfback, in 1916. Along with becoming the league's first African-American head coach, he also was its first African-American quarterback (1923) and first African-American to play on a championship team (1920). And they would state this as if it were simply true, end of story. Then a fateful meeting took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "I don't need to get hit every Sunday. Author of. "I kind of love it. I was never interested in socializing with whites. ", In February 2021, Dungywrote an open letter to NFL ownersabout the league's lack of minority hires. Solomon said. They'd then verify the information. And of the 12-year absence of blacks from the league from 1934 to 1946, Halas would say, Probably the game didnt have the appeal to black players at the time.. At Brown, Pollard led the Bears to their first and only Rose Bowl appearance. ProFootballHistory.com. If I figured a hotel or restaurant didnt want me, I stayed away. Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard was born Jan. 27, 1894. When an opposing linebacker greeted Pollard with a deeply offensive racial slur, he responded by waltzing past him and into the end zone. The Fritz Pollard Alliance was in 2016 one of the first to support Colin Kaepernick, another black quarterback who has had to wait for the significance of his deeds to be acknowledged by his sport. Pollard was born on Feb. 18, 1915, in Springfield, Mass. He founded a newspaper, and set up an investment fund and a company trading coal. Updated January 24, 2023 3:22 PM. Pollard took the matter into his own hands and created an all-Black football team, the Chicago Black Hawks, in 1928, challengingNFL teams to exhibition games. He is one of the great football stars of all time.". And that is that the running back with the $1 million cap hit gobbles up yards faster than the one with the $6.8 million cap hit (a figured reduced by converting part of Elliotts guaranteed $50 million deal to a restructure bonus). When Pollard died in 1986, after careers with a talent agency, tax consultingand film and music production,his obituary noted he was still the league's only head Black coach. Teams would take kick-offs short, so that Pollard could be gang-tackled as soon as he received the ball. As a senior, he was a two-way starter at wide receiver and cornerback on the high school football team. Pollard then signed with the NFL's Akron Pros, whom he led to a championship in his rookie season. His brother Terrion now carries on the family tradition, working with his dad at Pollard's. Briscoe passed for 14 touchdowns in 1968 - still a Denver Broncos record for a rookie. [2], Pollard accepted a football scholarship from the University of Memphis. A year ago when Pollard averaged 4.3 to Zeke's 4.0, and when Pollard got a late-season start against San Francisco and ran for 69 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries, it was because the . Still, some players didn't like that Pollard was playing and they despised even more that he was a star player in the NFL. [7] By the fall of 1920, he had begun to play for Akron, missing key Lincoln losses to Hampton (014) and Howard (042), much to the consternation of the alumni and administration. [7] In the 2018 Birmingham Bowl against Wake Forest, he recorded 318 all-purpose yards (209 on kickoff returns) and one rushing touchdown. After leaving Brown, Pollard pursued a degree in dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania for two years. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Tony Dungy, who became the first Black . SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. '", RELATED: Cordova High School alum Quinton Bohanna makes Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster. That'sjust the way the times were back then," Pollard would say. Bothered by an upset stomach, the running back ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at the combine, which was a slow time for him. He touched the ball on 16 of his 21 snaps Sunday. From the SI Vault: They had reservations at a hotel in Pasadena, but upon their arrival, the desk clerk announced that the hotel had space for everyone except Pollard. The NFL has now acknowledged, Meet the young UK wrestlers fighting their demons. Pollard's legacy lives on through his grandson Fritz D Pollard III (and children Meredith Pollard Russell and Marcus Pollard) his other grandson Dr Stephen Towns and granddaughter Stephanie Towns. Thats Tennessees Derrick Henry, Minnesotas Dalvin Cook and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson. Tony Randall Pollard (born April 30, 1997) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). As he faced criticism and discrimination, Pollard didn't fight back, not off the field. The former Memphis standout is currently earning a base salary of $965,000 while carrying a cap charge of $1.131 million, via Spotrac. Pollard felt Halas held a personal grudge going back to when they were high school sports rivals in Chicago, and that he also played a prominent role in the ban being approved. Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted 2005), https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fritz-Pollard, Ohio History Central - Biography of Frederick D. Pollard, Pro Football Hall of Fame - Biography of Fritz Pollard, Fritz Pollard - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). "Sometimes they would just pick him up, take him to camp and wouldn't ask for a dime," Torria said. Eventually the hotel relented. On the train coming out, Pollard hadn't been allowed to sit with his teammates in the dining car. "He was at a game and they thought he was a mascot because he was so tiny," she said. He played and coached when, despite being the highest paid player in the league $1,500 a game he wasn't allowed to dresswith his team. Nonetheless, in the opening week of the NFL season, there were four black head coaches, one black general manager and nine black starting quarterbacks. Here are five things Cowboys fans might not know about the running back and special teams ace: Pollard was raised in Memphis and decided to stay in the city when he made his college choice. [2] He was the first African American football player at Brown. But the hiring didn't break down barriers. [16] During Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams, Pollard finished with 131 rushing yards on 12 attempts, including a 44-yard touchdown as the Cowboys won 4421. [8], Pollard was considered one of the best kickoff return specialists in college football, tying a FBS record with seven career kick-return touchdowns, 87 kickoff returns (second in school history), 2,616 kickoff return yards (second in school history), 30.1 kick-return average (school record) and 4,680 all-purpose yards (second in school history). RELATED: Defense leads the way in Memphis' 44-34 win over North Texas. Pollard becamethe first Black man to play in the Rose Bowl. Yet after he retired, the doors he forced open were slammed shut by a 'gentleman's agreement' that saw African-Americans banned from 1934 until 1946. "Oh yes," said Towns. Fritz was gifted with speed and elusiveness but he was small. In 1981 Brown University conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) He retired from football in 1937 to pursue a career in business and watched as the NFL ban on Black players started to lift after World War II. When the Los Angeles Raiders hired Art Shell as head coach in 1989, he was asked in a live broadcast how it felt to be the NFL's first black coach. Mother Amanda was a respected seamstress while father John was a successful businessman. Your essential guide to Super Bowl 57 as the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona for the NFL championship. But when the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in 1963, he was not among the charter class of 17 inductees. As we head into the Super Bowl, here are 10 amazing facts on the incredible journey of Fritz Pollard, one of the first African-American players to play professional football and also the first to become a head coach. He missed the 1920 Howard game, he said, because his Lincoln salary was so low that he was compelled to augment it with pay from Akron.[9]. Fritz Pollard, the NFL's first African-American head coach, was a true pioneer of the sport. There are twoBlack head coachesin the NFL in 2022. He could do everything - he played on offence and defence. But the fleet-footed running back quickly became the team's star player, dubbed 'the human torpedo' because he ran so low to the turf. He is considered by many observers of the NFL as the first conscience of the game. His three older brothers all played the game and felt black players could do well - if they adhered to an unwritten code of conduct. "They said no African Americans, period, because it was bad for business," said Towns. Mark Wahlberg pours tequila for fans at Dallas restaurant during thunderstorm, Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving tandem clicks with joint 40-point displays in Mavs win vs. 76ers, Dallas Cowboys focused on adding another dynamic offensive weapon, 12 Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants that have closed in 2023, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones responds to Lakers star LeBron James comments. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Given all that we have seen, its a safe bet the winning wont continue forever for this club. "Fred Pollard Finishes as Coach for Lincoln", "Path Lit by Lightning" by David Maraniss, Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 22:16, Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Racial issues faced by black quarterbacks, "Jim Muldoon inducted into Rose Bowl Hall of Fame", "Mark Brunell, Fritz Pollard, Tyrone Wheatley and Jim Muldoon to be Inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame presented by Northwestern Mutual", "Alpha Athletes at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany", Brown University and the Black Coaches Association establish annual Fritz Pollard Award, Fritz Pollard and early African American professional football players, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fritz_Pollard&oldid=1141008765. "Why?" He had waited65 years from his hiringas an NFL coach to see if he had pioneered a change. Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here. This should have surprised no one. If someone can slug him without the referee seeing him, it is done. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. On special teams, he totaled 2,616 kick return yards and seven touchdowns. He was the son of Fritz Pollard Sr., who also held a few "first" designations, one of which was . It was the best game I'd ever seen.". Pollard suffered a fractured left . The No. It was time for his family to take up the story. NFL to consider rule change after RB injury. Then in November 1923, after switching teams, he played an entire game at quarterback for the Hammond Pros. Gibbons went on to describe an incident that happened atan Akron restaurant as Pollard sat with a group of teammates. Updates? Both he and Halas were at that meeting of team owners in 1933, when Marshall pitched the idea of banning black players. Be the smartest Cowboys fan. He was the first African American selected to a backfield position on Walter Camps All-America team (1916) and the first African American head coach in the National Football League (NFL), with the Akron Pros in 1921. Pollard himself was now in the factory town of Akron, Ohio. He was the seventh of eight children born to a Native American mother and an African American father. For decades the team owners claimed there was no unwritten agreement. The Pollard family will now have to switch to Cowboys fans now that they have family ties with the team. Three years later, the National Football League hired its second black head coach, Arthur "Art" Shell of the Oakland ( California) Raiders. In his second, he faced future Hall of Famer Jim Thorpe. Pollard became the second African-American in the College Hall of Fame in 1954. Since this would be the second consecutive season on . "At certain times, we were struggling ourselves as parents, just trying to do for the kids and the family," she said. He was born Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard. Marshall was an avowed segregationist who owned the Washington football franchise from its inception in 1932 to his death in 1969. Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, middle, is carted off the field during the 19-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. It's a game thatalmost didn't happen. These shows can run the gamut of topics from love on The Bachelor, to partying and a little bit of chaos on Jersey Shore.. During the 2000s, Flavor of Love became a hit dating show that ultimately launched the career of Tiffany Pollard, who most people know better as New York. [24] In Week 8, against Chicago, Pollard had 13 carries for 141 yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 4929 win, and was named Ground Player of the Week. Everything he learnt from his brothers was about to be put to the test. Pollard and Thorpe were pro football's highest-paid players, the main attractions. The Fritz Pollard Association that certifies that NFL teams have complied with the Rooney Rule is also a tax exempt 501 (c) (6) organization. He is the sonof a despised race. As his team returned from one game in Gilberton, the train's windows were shot out. In 1920, with Pollard leading the team, the Pros went undefeated (8-0-3) to win the league's first championship. It's cheaper. The figure to keep Pollard from becoming a free agent is $10.1 million. The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57 on Sunday, 12 February - where is it being played and how to follow on the BBC. [10] Just six days later, on January 17, 2019, Pollard was added to the 2019 North Senior Bowl roster. Are you an NFL rookie? In his freshman year, he was the only black player in the Ivy League and Brown's win over Yale saw them earn an invite to the Rose Bowl in January 1916. [26] During the 2022-23 NFC divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, Pollard suffered a high ankle sprain and fractured fibula in the second quarter when 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward landed on his ankle while making the tackle. "Sometimes I sit at home and say, 'I can't believe this,' Torria said. We look at why having two black quarterbacks in the Super Bowl is such a big moment for the NFL, and profile star men Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. After escaping slavery, he had fought for the Union during the Civil War. One opposing school'sfans would sing "Bye Bye Blackbird"when his grandfathercame on the field, Towns said. In 1923 and 1924, he served as head coach for the Hammond Pros.[2]. He finished with 101 carries for 435 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns to go along with 28 receptions for 193 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. With the US in the depths of the Great Depression and millions of white people unemployed, he argued that paying black men to play football would be bad for business. During 19181919, he led the team to a victorious season defeating Howard University's Bisons 130[5] in the annual Thanksgiving classic as well as Hampton University (70) on November 9, 1918, and teams of military recruits at Camp Dix (190) on November 2, 1918,[6] and Camp Upton (410). As well as being a running back, he was a defensive back, receiver, kicker, punt returner and kick-off returner. "When he was six years old, he said 'Mom, I'm going to the NFL.' It doesn't force any teamto hire a Black head coach. [3] He finished among the national leaders in kickoff return average (28.1 yards). Tony isn't the only Pollard living his dream. He spent years defending his accomplishments, believing that the racism of the early years of the league was played down to lessen the impact of his role and to raise the legend of men like Halas, whom he believed was a racist. Instead, he let his play speak for itself. 'Feels Like Home:' electrical failure from a light fixture caused December fire that killed 1, Shelby County reporting an increase in drug-related overdoses, largely due to fentanyl, Severe weather threat is over | Prepare for a sunny weekend, Daylight saving time starts soon. Fans started showing up to see what this footballleague was all about. [22] In Week 5, against the New York Giants, Pollard totaled 103 scrimmage yards in the 4420 victory. "We better let him play," the linebacker told the coach. It was really important to us as a family to get that known. Not the way Solomon believes Pollard might have expected. If the field was a quagmire, his face would be held in the water. His brother Terrion now carries on the family tradition, working with his dad at Pollard's. "I kind of love it. (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of NFL Co-Founder Carl Storck (Story), The Life And Career Of Jim Thorpe (Complete Story), Top 20 Most Underrated Coaches In NFL History (Complete List), The Life And Career Of QB Jim Plunkett (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Deion Sanders (Complete Story). Football pioneer Walter Camp called Pollard "one of the greatest runners these eyes have ever seen."[1]. This year, the NFL is celebrating its 100th season and a heritage that began when 11 teams met on Aug. 20, 1920, in Canton, Ohio, to form the American Professional Football Association. "My dad was a single parent, and when he wasn't working all the hours he did it was phone call after phone call, meeting after meeting, trying to get my great-grandfather's name out there.". AKA: Sharon K Fritz, Sharon Fritz-Pollard, Sharon K Pollard. All eight of the Pollard children graduated from high school and excelled at athletics or music. ", Tony Dungy, who became the first Black coach to win a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006, said this month the Flores suitmight be "just the tip of the iceberg. "But I'm not," he said. The Life And Career Of Steve Sabol (Story), The Fascinating Life Of Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder (Story), What Happened To NFL Referee Mike Carey? If Pollard wasn't allowed to stay at the hotel, they would all leave and head back to Rhode Island. In 1921, Pollard was made player-coach and finished as the league's top scorer. Hes 17th in the league in rushing on just 16 carries, but his 7.7 average is the best among all running backs with at least three carries. "The narrative we are dealing with here is very close to the narrative FritzPollard dealtwith 100 years ago.". Here are five things Cowboys fans might not know about the running back and special teams ace: Stayed home. Some of the worst violence took place in Pollard's home town of Chicago. Their move north had paid off. Flores suit came afterthe New York Giants hiredBrian Daboll over him as head coach. Last updated on 2 October 20202 October 2020.From the section American Football. "If somebody were to ask Fritz Pollard, 'What do you think 100 years from now it's going to be like in the National Football League?'" follow. Pollard's family grew up Pittsburgh Steelers fans, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. At that time, black players were banned from the sport. His case is typical of a process called 'racial stacking' which still influences the number of black head coaches we see today. Subjects: Do you find this information helpful? In 1937, Fritz Pollard retired from pro football and pursued a career in business. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. "If you think about everything Pollard fought for,this is the same thing we are fighting today," he said. Pollard coached Lincoln University's football team in Oxford, Pennsylvania during the 1918 to 1920 seasons [4] and served as athletic director of the school's World War I era Students' Army Training Corps. Here are 4 reasons why they should Related: Cowboys RB Tony Pollard undergoes surgery for injuries suffered vs. 49ers Related: What NFL salary cap increase means for Cowboys and how it affects RB . He can pad his totals with long runs that Elliott really hasnt been able to accumulate since he burst on the scene as the 2016 rushing champion.
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