I never saw him angry.". Pollard was one of only two African-Americans at Brown in 1915 and the first to live on campus. "Even if it helps just one person in the same situation as my great-grandfather, with the odds stacked against them, to persevere and make something of themselves, then it was worth it. It was one of many measures he'd take to avoid being targeted, verbally and physically, by fans and players alike, across the game's heartland of the American Northeast and Midwest. ), 39 receptions for 458 yards (11.7-yard avg. 100 years ago, the NFL took its first baby steps in Indiana, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. [8] Paul Robeson was enlisted by Lincoln's alumni to coach the Thanksgiving 1920 game against Howard. [2], Pollard accepted a football scholarship from the University of Memphis. [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. [3] He became the first African American running back to be named to Walter Camp's All-America team. "Opposing players make it a point of pride to rough him as much as possible. How to get into American football a sport for all shapes and sizes that requires both mental and physical skills. "For Brown, The Wrong Shoe Was On The Foot In The '16 Rose Bowl Game," by Frank Bianco (Nov. 24, 1980), More Black History Month Pioneers:* Florence Griffith Joyner Smashed Records and Stereotypes* Remembering Satchel Paige, Maybe The Best Pitcher To Ever Live* Paul Robeson Was America's Quintessential Renaissance Man, 2023 ABG-SI LLC. He wanted the trails he blazed to change the future of the NFL. The race to compete in Super Bowl 57 is under way - how many winners since 2000 can you name? Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay? He was a theater agent, booking African-Americans in clubs across New York City. 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. [6], As a junior, even though he shared the backfield with Darrell Henderson, he totaled 78 carries for 552 yards (7.1-yard avg. If Pollard wasn't allowed to stay at the hotel, they would all leave and head back to Rhode Island. Pollard told him: "You'll find me down there in your end zone.". The final was 13-0 with Robeson scoring both touchdowns in his finest pro football performance. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. The 1993 Super Bowl was to be a landmark event for Arizona but it disappeared out of the state in a swirl of politics, polemic and division. He also founded an all-black football team in Harlem that was unsuccessful in luring local NFL teams to play exhibition games. His brothers decided they had to toughen him up. Many credit Pollard and Jim Thorpe with saving the fledgling league as it struggled to compete with baseball and boxing. Pollard grew up in Rogers Park, a community area on the north side of Chicago, Ill. But when the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in 1963, he was not among the charter class of 17 inductees. Pollard continued to play and coach in the NFL until 1926. [20] Overall, he appeared in all 16 games, of which he started two, in the 2020 season. 3: See photos from DeSoto's Class 6A state semifinal win over Pearland, A day after powerful thunderstorms, North Texas surveys the damage, 3 children killed, 2 wounded at Ellis County home; suspect in custody, How a Texas districts reaction to school shooting fears highlights discipline concerns, Carrollton man advertised pills on social media to entice teens to buy fentanyl, feds say. He registered 29 receptions for 298 yards (10.3-yard avg. He also blamed the school for not providing the proper equipment. A memorial for Marshall outside Washington's stadium was removed in June, along with all other references to him, after it was spray-painted with the words "change the name". On special teams, he totaled 2,616 kick return yards and seven touchdowns. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves and say, 'Is this real? He founded a newspaper, and set up an investment fund and a company trading coal. Then a fateful meeting took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "The first was Fritz Pollard. 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 . He later worked as a tax and public relations consultant. They had some prejudiced people there. 0:00. He was the son of Fritz Pollard Sr., who also held a few "first" designations, one of which was . "Hammond and Milwaukee were bad, but never as bad as Akron. His case is typical of a process called 'racial stacking' which still influences the number of black head coaches we see today. this year amid mounting pressure. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). and six touchdowns. He spent some time organizing all-African American barnstorming teams, including the Chicago Black Hawks in 1928 and the Harlem Brown Bombers in the 1930s. In 1937, Fritz Pollard retired from pro football and pursued a career in business. They had to cut to a commercial and then my phone just blew up with people saying 'they're talking about your grandfather'.". His three older brothers all played the game and felt black players could do well - if they adhered to an unwritten code of conduct. [1] He helped the team reach the playoffs, while making over 1,200 receiving yards, 20 touchdowns and being named All-District 16-AAA. Pollard waited his entire life for a second Black person to be named head coach of an NFL team. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The Bears recently unveiled statues of Halas and one of his great draft choices, Walter Payton, the Hall of Fame running back, who could not have played in the league were it not for the sacrifices of men like Pollard. Then they leapt from their chairs, grabbed the waiter and proceeded to artistically maul him until he consented to wait on Pollard. Many believe that the Cowboys just found their next kick returner. 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. If so, watch our guide to the key rules, the player positions and the ultimate aim of the game. He called the team Redskins in 1933, a racial slur that was only. As he faced criticism and discrimination, Pollard didn't fight back, not off the field. The No. He is closing in on 1,700 runs and receptions while just starting his sixth season. https://t.co/5repnhdcW4. Along with becoming the league's first African-American head coach, he also was its first. 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. That's 4.8%. Additionally, Pollard ranks ninth in positive EPA play percentage, meaning he is . Yet the next summer Denver held quarterback meetings without him and he asked to be released. Its a safe bet that Elliotts numbers will go up, and that he will eventually get so many more chances than Pollard that he will pass him in yards. It is remarkable to watch the hoops that people will jump through, the injuries they will risk to avoid stating the rather obvious fact that Tony Pollard is a better runner than Ezekiel Elliott. Fritz Pollard, the Brown University halfback, in 1916. Getty Images. It's kind of weird to say, but I love it," Terrion said. "Pollard's Orange and Blue Juggernaut Crushes Camp Dix". In 1916 Pollards outstanding play led Brown to a season of eight victories and one defeat, including wins over both Yale and Harvard. "You just lived with it. Pollard wouldn't have to dodge the spotlight for long. In 1919, as more than 25 race riots erupted in major U.S. cities, Fritz Pollard, a former Brown University All-American running back, joined the Akron Pros, a pro football team . "(Two teammates)watched the proceedings as long as they could. Nonetheless, in the opening week of the NFL season, there were four black head coaches, one black general manager and nine black starting quarterbacks. AKA: Sharon K Fritz, Sharon Fritz-Pollard, Sharon K Pollard. Keep working, keep going. I'd rather watch him do it.". Pollard then signed with the NFL's Akron Pros, whom he led to a championship in his rookie season. It was the first time a team had beaten them both in the same season, and Pollard won each game almost single-handedly. 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. For this reason the FPA has in recent years been vocal in flagging potential violations of the rule while seeking to enhance it. This should have surprised no one. Pollard's son Fritz Jr competed at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany, winning a bronze medal in the 110m hurdles before serving in the US army in World War II. In 1920, the leagues inaugural season, when there was no playoff and the champion was determined by its win-loss record, Pollards Pros went 8-0-3 and took the title. Kansas CIty Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' touchdowns from his biggest games this season ahead of Sunday night's NFL Super Bowl against the. "My students know I get so mad at them if they call themselves 'stupid'. "You couldn't eat in the restaurants or stay in the hotels," Pollard told the New York Times in 1978. 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). Pollard was carted to the X-ray room with an air cast on his leg. But his family's quest finally came to fruition in 2005 when - two years after his son's death - Pollard was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Segregation laws had been abolished in the northern states, but with many southerners migrating for work in the rubber factories of Ohio and the coal mines of Pennsylvania, he continued to experience racial discrimination almost everywhere he played. Running back Tony Pollard was not present during the open-to-media portion of the workout, a source telling CowboysSI.com that that the absence is non related to injury. He could do everything - he played on offence and defence. Pollard tied an NCAA record with seven kickoff returns for touchdowns. "This is a man who paved the way, who showed there is hope. He also saw how it changed between then. It's kind of weird to say, but I. There are twoBlack head coachesin the NFL in 2022. He continued to promote the integration of more black players. Subjects: Do you find this information helpful? He feared he had squandered any chance of playing professional football. Early years [ edit] The Pollard family will now have to switch to Cowboys fans now that they have family ties with the team. "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.". When returning kick-offs, he often dived to the floor, leaving the tacklers to collide with each other, before getting back to his feet to continue running. Pollard, along with all nine of the African American players in the NFL at the time, were removed from the league at the end of the 1926 season, never to return again. But not all teams were integrated until Bobby Mitchell joined the Washington (Commanders) in 1962. Zeke is 25th in rushing and averaging 3.9 per carry. [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. I didnt go sniffing around hoping theyd accept me. If he is tackled, as many as possible pile on him. Both he and Halas were at that meeting of team owners in 1933, when Marshall pitched the idea of banning black players. "Now it's a healthy engagement, an exchange of ideas and not always agreement, but overall it's a working relationship with open lines of communication.". The former Memphis standout is currently earning a base salary of $965,000 while carrying a cap charge of $1.131 million, via Spotrac. The US summer of 1919 was known as the Red Summer. said his grandson Dr. Stephen Towns, a dentist in Indianapolis. At the hotel, Assistant Coach Bill Sprackling demanded to see the manager. Pollard was illegally hit during games and, if he landed on the ground, white players would pile on top of him and beat him, according to newspaper accounts. After his playing career, he'd moved to New York with the Harlem Renaissance still in full swing and had become a talent agent, booking black entertainers for films and white nightclubs. He has amassed 1,279 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns while sharing load with Elliott. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com. His imprint on this issue is felt daily through the work of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an organization that advocates for diversity and equality in coaching, scouting and the front office in the NFL. All eight of the Pollard children graduated from high school and excelled at athletics or music. He became their player-coach the following season. There have been 24 in total, with three currently among the 32 teams, despite about 70% of NFL players being from ethnic minorities. It was named one of the 10 best BBQ restaurants in the city of Memphis by the Travel Channel. "I don't need to get hit every Sunday. Today, SI looks back on the legacy of Fritz Pollard. "My granddaddy barbequed at home," said Tarrance Pollard, Tony's father. [17] Overall, in his rookie season, he finished with 86 carries for 455 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with 15 receptions for 107 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Born Frederick Douglass Pollard in 1894 - after the abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass - his nickname Fritz reflected Rogers Park's predominantly German make-up. As well as being a running back, he was a defensive back, receiver, kicker, punt returner and kick-off returner. RELATED: Defense leads the way in Memphis' 44-34 win over North Texas. (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). Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, middle, is carted off the field during the 19-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. 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. Halas was involved with the Chicago Bears from their creation in 1920 until his death in 1983, first as a player, then coach and team owner. NFL to consider rule change after RB injury. 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. He was honoured instead at a separate banquet held by a local black business association. 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. Not the way Solomon believes Pollard might have expected. Its also possibly his way of talking around what seems to be a delicate situation. Days later, Pollard played in abenefit game inPittsburgh and was greeted with a hero's welcome. He produced Rockin' the Blues[11] in 1956, which included such performers as Connie Carroll, The Harptones, The Five Miller Sisters, Pearl Woods,[12] Linda Hopkins, Elyce Roberts, The Hurricanes, and The Wanderers. USA TODAY NFL insider Mike Jones breaks down former Miami Dolphins' head coach Brian Flores' lawsuit against the NFL, Giants and Dolphins. He averaged 30.1 yards per return. The NFL has now acknowledged, Meet the young UK wrestlers fighting their demons. But Pollard appears more likely for several reasons. 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). I was there to play football and make my money.. "Id look at themand grin," Pollard said in a 1974 interview with NFL Films. In 2005, Fritz Pollard was posthumously inducted into the, In 2015, Pollard was posthumously inducted into the, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 22:16. Pollard was born on Feb. 18, 1915, in Springfield, Mass. 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. His is a story for too long left untold. And they would state this as if it were simply true, end of story. USA TODAY. 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. Pollard and Bobby Marshall were the first two African-American players in the NFL in 1920. "Fritz Pollards skin is black. One opposing school'sfans would sing "Bye Bye Blackbird"when his grandfathercame on the field, Towns said. "Members of the Akron Pros swear by Pollard," wroteJack Gibbons of The Akron Beacon Journal on Nov.30, 1920.