New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Fritz Pollard
(1894 - 1986)
| | New Rochelle Walk of Fame | |
Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 27, 1894. He was the first African American head coach in the National Football League (NFL) and, along with Bobby Marshall, was one of 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."
Pollard played with the Akron Pros, the team he would lead to the NFL (APFA) championship in 1920. In 1921, he became the co-head catch of the Akron Pros while still maintaining his former roster position as running back.
At the end of the 1926 season Pollard along with all nine of the African American players in the NFL were removed from the league, never to return. After that he spent some time organizing all-African American barnstorming teams, including the Chicago Black Hawks in 1928 and the Harlem Brown Bombers in the 1930s.
Fritz attended Brown University playing half-back on the Brown football team that went to the 1916 Rose Bowl. He was the first African American football player at Brown and the first African American player to play
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After football, he went on to other ventures including a talent agency, tax consulting, and film and music production. From 1935 to 1942, he published the first African American-owned newspaper in New York City, the New York Independent News.
In 1954, Pollard was the first African American elected to the National College Football Hall of Fame. In 2005, he received a long-overdue honor with his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His name lives on through the Fritz Pollard Alliance that was founded in 2003 to help promote the hiring of minorities in the NFL.
Pollard retired to New Rochelle in 1961, living at 288 Webster Avenue until 1983 when he moved to Silver Springs, MD to live with his son Fritz, Jr. and his wife.
Erected by City of New Rochelle, NY; New Rochelle Downtown Business District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Communications • Industry & Commerce • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is January 27, 1894.
Location. 40° 54.613′ N, 73° 46.958′ W. Marker is in New Rochelle, New York, in Westchester County. It is on Lawton
Regionally, this marker is in the Hudson Valley and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mariano Rivera (here, next to this marker); Claire Trevor (here, next to this marker); Reginald Marsh (here, next to this marker); New Rochelle in the NFL (here, next to this marker); Lillian & Dorothy Gish (here, next to this marker); Henry Heimlich (here, next to this marker); Jay Leno (here, next to this marker); Nell Brinkley (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Rochelle.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 20, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 140 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 20, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
