Breaking the Color Barrier: The Story of the First African American NFL Head Coach, Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard

He changed the sport...and then he was largely forgotten

The history of sports and race is messy. In baseball Jackie Robinson is universally touted as the first black major league player, which conveniently forgets Moses Fleetwood Walker and other players of color who appeared on 19th century diamonds.

Football deals with the messiness a different way.

The sport employs the term "modern era" instead. So Kenny Washington is the first black player of the "modern era." James Harris was the first ...