Fritz Pollard

3 Chicago Black Hawks Football Team
4 Legacy
5 See also
6 References



[edit] Early life
Pollard graduated from Lane Tech high school in Chicago where he ran track. Pollard played college football at Brown University, graduating in 1919. He played in the 1916 Rose Bowl.

Pollard was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.


[edit] Professional football player
He later played professional football with the Akron Pros, the team he would lead to the NFL (APFA) championship in 1920. In 1921, he became the co-head coach of the Akron Pros, while still maintaining his roster position as running back. He also played for the Milwaukee Badgers, Hammond Pros, Gilberton Cadamounts, and Providence Steam Roller. Some sources indicate that Pollard also served as co-coach of the Milwaukee Badgers with Al Garrett for part of the 1922 season. He also coached the non NFL team Gilberton in 1923 and is believed to have had some coaching duties with Hammond in 1923 as well.


[edit] Chicago Black Hawks Football Team
In 1928, Pollard organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-African American Professional team. The Black Hawks played against White teams around Chicago, but enjoyed their greatest success by scheduling exhibition games against West Coast teams during the winter months. He won the 2005 Hall of fame honor in football.


[edit] Legacy
In 2005,Fritz Pollard was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Fritz Pollard appears as a free agent in Madden NFL 09 and appears as part of the Hall of Fame feature.

Pollard's son Frederick Pollard, Jr. won the bronze medal for 110 m hurdles at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

A group promoting minority hiring throughout the NFL is named for Pollard, the Fritz Pollard Alliance

Brown University and the Black Coaches Association co-sponsor the annual Fritz Pollard Award, which is presented to the college or professional coach chosen by the BCA as coach of the year