Fritz Pollard, an All-America halfback from Brown University was a pro football pioneer in more ways than one. He was the first African American selected to a backfield position on Walter Camp’s All-America team (1916) and the first African American head coach in the National Football League (NFL), with the Akron Pros in 1921. A recipient of the Rockefeller scholarship which allowed Pollard to attend Brown University in 1915, where he broke racial barriers. As a two time All-American, Pollard became a college football standout despite his modest 5'9", 165-pound stature. He was the first African-American to play in the Rose Bowl at the end of the 1915 season, and in 1916, he led Brown to back-to- back wins over Ivy League powerhouses Harvard and Yale en route to an 8-1 overall record. He lived until he was 92 years old, passing away May 11, 1986, in Silver Spring, Maryland. Rest in peace.