Fritz Pollard getting his due from Lane Tech
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Flyer courtesy of Lane Tech Alumni Association
More than a year after Lane Tech College Prep dropped its use of "Indian" as a mascot, the school is renaming its athletic field after a groundbreaking alum.
Driving the news: Lane is dedicating the field to Fritz Pollard, a largely unsung 1912 alum who became the first Black professional quarterback and coach.
What's more: An NFL Hall of Famer, Pollard was the first Black player in the Rose Bowl, representing Brown University.
- He later started the first Black-owned tabloid, The New York Independent, and founded a talent agency where he represented Paul Robeson and Lena Horne.
- Pollard also created two independent football teams, the Chicago Black Hawks and Harlem Brown Bombers, to give exposure to Black football players.
What they're saying: "We couldn't be more excited for Fritz Pollard to finally get even a fraction of the recognition he deserves," Michelle Weiner of the Lane Tech Alumni Association, which led the Pollard renaming effort, tells Axios.
If you go: The pregame rededication ceremony starts at 11am Saturday featuring Pollard's grandson and an unveiling of plaques detailing the alum's achievements.
What's next: Weiner hopes the Pollard dedication will bring together Lane alums who, she says, are still divided on the decision to drop the Indian mascot.
- Meanwhile, the Rogers Park Historical Society is working to name a park at Damen and Lunt after the Pollard family.
💠Monica's thought bubble: I come from a big Lane alum family whose brothers are split on the mascot issue.
- But in an era when the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins have become the Guardians and Commanders, I think Lane can move forward, too.