Fritz Pollard
Football player and coach, first Black coach

Born
1894
131 years ago
Died
May 11th, 1986
39 years ago — 92 years old
Category
Athletes & Sports Figures
Country
United States
Links & References
Played as a running back and coach in American football. Served as the first Black head coach in the NFL with the Akron Pros in 1921. Had a notable career at Brown University, where he became a star player. Contributed significantly to the sport both as a player and as a pioneer for Black coaches in football. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, recognizing contributions to the game.
First Black head coach in the NFL
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
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