In Addition To Being Its First Black Coach, Pollard Was One of the NFL’s First Black Players
In 1919, Pollard signed to the Akron Pros of the American Professional Football Association—a league that was eventually renamed the NFL one year later. Pollard was one of just two black players in the new league and helped the Pros win the NFL’s first championship in 1920. He was named the team’s head coach in 1921—making Pollard the first African-American coach in league history.
“It was evident in my first year at Akron back in 1919, that they didn’t want blacks in there getting that money,” Pollard said years later. “And here I was, playing and coaching and pulling down the highest salary in pro football.”
Pollard would go on to either play or coach for four different teams. Pollard became the league’s first black quarterback when he played under center for the Hammond Pros in 1923. His time in the NFL abruptly ended when teams began ousting all black players and coaches in 1926. Owners came to a “gentleman’s agreement” to officially segregate the league in 1933.
