Fritz Pollard Alliance

Fritz Pollard was a trailblazing figure in the annuals of American sports. He shattered myths and defined Black excellence in a way that remains as relevant as it did a century ago. He was a standard-bearer, a fearless competitor, and a pioneering force in athletics.

As a professional player, he continued breaking barriers in spite of the overt racism of that time. He was among the first Black players in the APFL and the NFL leagues, the first Black athlete to play on a championship team (1920), and the first Black quarterback in the NFL (1923). Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in the NFL in 1921, over 100 years ago.

Fritz Pollard’s consequential and historic life has been acknowledged in a myriad of ways. Perhaps the most enduring is the naming of the Fritz Pollard Alliance in his honor. The organization was formed in 2003 by civil rights attorneys Cyrus Mehri and Johnnie Cochran Jr. as a way to bring more attention and awareness to the dearth of opportunities extended to people of color in the NFL.