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Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard (January 27, 1894 – May 11, 1986) was the first African American head coach in the National Football League (NFL). Pollard along with Bobby Marshall were the first two African American players in the NFL in 1920. Sportswriter Walter Camp ranked Pollard as "one of the greatest runners these eyes have ever seen." ==Early life== Pollard was born in Chicago on January 27, 1894. He attended Albert Grannis Lane Manual Training High School, also known as "Lane Tech," where he played football, baseball, and ran track. Pollard attended Brown University, majoring in chemistry. Pollard played half-back on the Brown football team, which went to the 1916 Rose Bowl.〔Reasons and Patrick, "Pollard Set Records as Black Football player, Coach." The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, 1972, February 27, Section E: 5.〕 He became the first black running back to be named to the Walter Camp All-America team. He later played pro 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, Union Club of Phoenixville and Providence Steam Roller. Some sources indicate that Pollard also served as co-coach of the Milwaukee Badgers with Budge Garrett for part of the 1922 season. He also coached the Gilberton Cadamounts, a non-NFL team. In 1923 and 1924, he served as head coach for the Hammond Pros.〔Reasons and Patrick, "Pollard Set Records as Black Football player, Coach." The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, 1972, February 27, Section E: 5.〕 Pollard, along with all nine of the black players in the NFL at the time, were removed from the league at the end of the 1926 season, never to return again. He spent some time organizing all-black barnstorming teams, including the Chicago Black Hawks in 1928 and the Harlem Brown Bombers in the 1930s. Pollard coached Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)'s football team during the 1918 to 1920 seasons 〔"Crack Lincoln University Team Coached by Fritz Pollard" Philadelphia Tribune, October 19, 1918〕 and served as athletic director of the school's World War I era Students' Army Training Corps. During 1918–1919, he led the team to a victorious season defeating Howard University's Bisons 13-0 〔"Lincoln University Victor over Howard" Washington Post November 29, 1918〕 in the annual Thanksgiving classic as well as Hampton (7-0) on November 9, 1918 and teams of military recruits at Camp Dix (19-0) on November 2, 1918 〔"Pollard's Orange and Blue Juggernaut Crushes Camp Dix" Philadelphia Tribune, November 9, 1918〕 and Camp Upton (41-0).〔"Lincoln Swamps Camp Upton" Chicago Defender, November 30, 1918〕 By the fall of 1920, however, he had begun to play for Akron and missed key contests with Hampton and Howard. Much to Lincoln's alumni and administration's consternation, Lincoln's team was defeated 14-0 against Hampton and 42-0 against Howard.〔"Fred Pollard Finishes as Coach for Lincoln" Chicago Defender, December 4, 1920〕 Paul Robeson was enlisted by Lincoln's alumni to coach the Thanksgiving 1920 game against Howard.〔 Pollard later criticized Lincoln's administration, saying they had hampered his ability to coach and had refused to provide adequate travel accommodations for the team. "Prior to the Hampton game, the team was compelled to go to Hampton by boat, sleeping on the decks and under portholes," he told a reporter. "No cabins were provided, nor were they given a place to sleep after reaching Hampton. They lost the game through lack of rest." He also blamed the school for not providing the proper equipment. "I, myself, bought and paid $200 out of my pocket for football shoes for the team." 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.〔"Fritz Pollard Answers Critics" Baltimore Afro-American December 17, 1920〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fritz Pollard」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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