He was almost always in the game -- as quarterback, running back and often doing punt returns and kickoff returns. When Pollard comes in, the defense focuses on the passing game. Some sources indicate that Pollard also served as co-coach of the Milwaukee Badgers with Budge Garrett for part of the 1922 season. Don't let anyone tell you 'no'. ", "Look at the c-suites of your teams, the medical staffs, and the ultimate decision makers the head coaches and GMs and youll see those faces dont represent what your teams look like," Dungy wrote last year. After Pollard, the second black starting quarterback was Marlin Briscoe in 1968. This wasn't the first time the team had encountered such prejudice. Henry had 35 carries in the Titans overtime win and Cook ran 22 times in defeat at Arizona. is tony pollard related to fritz pollard - cleanworld.com Nonetheless, in the opening week of the NFL season, there were four black head coaches, one black general manager and nine black starting quarterbacks. (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). Mark Wahlberg pours tequila for fans at Dallas restaurant during thunderstorm, Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving tandem clicks with joint 40-point displays in Mavs win vs. 76ers, Dallas Cowboys focused on adding another dynamic offensive weapon, 12 Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants that have closed in 2023, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones responds to Lakers star LeBron James comments. In the second quarter of the Cowboys-49ers divisional matchup, the Cowboys running back had his left ankle trapped underneath a . [2], Pollard accepted a football scholarship from the University of Memphis. 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. The No. It wasan incredible display of solidarity. 0:00. Pollard, one of two Black players in the NFL and thefirst Black coach, would suit up in his car outside the football field or go to a nearby cigar store where the owner let him use a back room. Bothered by an upset stomach, the running back ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at the combine, which was a slow time for him. "He's the one that taught everybody how to barbeque.". His legacy lives on with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an initiative that promotes the hiring of minority candidates across professional football. Yet, Pollard's humble, quiet ways never changed. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Pollard's father had been a boxer who fought professionally during the Civil War. As Fritz Jr handed down his collection of memorabilia in the 1990s, Fritz III began contacting each member of the Hall of Fame's 48-person selection committee, stating his grandfather's case for inclusion. They had to cut to a commercial and then my phone just blew up with people saying 'they're talking about your grandfather'.". For the game at Yale, Pollard had been smuggled into the stadium via a separate gate.

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