Fritz Pollard is an NFL trailblazer. Pollard, back in 1921, became the head coach of the Akron Pros and became the first Black coach in NFL history. He was one of several Black coaches that paved the way for future generations. (THREAD)
Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green was the second Black head coach in modern NFL history. Green is infamous for a fiery postgame speech, but it shouldn’t overshadow how he was one of the most innovative offensive minds of the 1990s. He coached the Vikings to eight playoff appearances in nine years with seven different starting quarterbacks.Dungy is the first Black head coach to win a Super Bowl.
When Mike Tomlin won the Super Bowl in 2008, he was the youngest head coach ever to win a championship. He’s never had a losing season in 15 years as head coach. In many ways, with Tomlin we come full circle. Tomlin, like Pollard, sets an example for all coaches, and is viewed with extreme admiration.What would Fritz Pollard see when looking at today’s NFL? He’d see progress. Of the 722 on-field coaches in the NFL this season, 314 identify as non-white.