Heroes of the Field: The Untold Stories of Fritz Pollard & Bobby Marshall

Fritz Pollard and Bobby Marshall

The NFL as we know it today is almost 60% Black, but back in its early days, the league had only white players. In 1920, the American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League) allowed its first two African American players: Fritz Pollard and Bobby Marshall. They were the league's only Black players that year, between 1920 and 1933, eleven more black players joined the league before an unwritten rule among owners, veiled as a "gentleman's agreement," kept black players out of the league until 1946.

Bobby Marshall

Bobby Marshall attended the University of Minnesota, where he became the first Black athlete, he played multiple sports during his time and became one of the greatest football players in the school's history. After college, he became a lawyer and, the state's grain commissioner, at the age of 40, Bobby became the first Black American to join the American Professional Football Association, playing for the Rock Island Independents. His team won 48-0 in the first game played in league history, throughout his career, Bobby played a total of 315 high school, college, and professional football games until he was 56, baseball until he was 60, and softball until he was 65. He played for and sometimes coached four different NFL teams, in 1928, he organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-African-American professional team based in Chicago. The Black Hawks played against white teams around Chicago but enjoyed their greatest success by scheduling exhibition games against West Coast teams during the winter months. From 1929 until 1932. they became one of the more popular teams on the West Coast until the Depression caused the team to fold.

Racism in the NFL

While Bobby and Fritz found success during their time in the league, it wasn't always easy, they became targets of racism from fans and opposing teams. For their safety, Bobby started dressing in the Akron owner's nearby cigar store and would often be driven by car to midfield moments before kickoff to avoid bottles being thrown at him. Fritz would roll over onto his back as soon as he tackled with his cleats up as the defensive method to kick players off him if needed.

The stories of Fritz Pollard and Bobby Marshall are a testament to their courage and determination. their pioneering efforts paved the way for future generations of Black athletes in the NFL, forever changing the game. 

Resource: First Black Players in the NFL