The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1916-12-03
POLLARD GREATEsTHALF FBACK
Brown University Player Has Wonder.
ful Record on Gridiron This Season.

Il sSs VoSoT0 ou NTtotTon MS Soaoons
When the 1915 football season has
drifted into the easily dimmed and
more easily forgotten past Of sporting
events; when things that are still un.
read from Times unturned pages and
football heroes Of the past have had
the nebulous haze Of glory which en-
circles them dimmed q little more;
even after managers Of the various
football teams shall have been terribly
mangled in the terrible crush to claim
championships the present year will
not be devoid Of its gridiron stars.
| But from among the vast horde Of
men who have chased the pigskin on
grid1rons from the Atlantic to the Pa
cifc coast and from the gulf of Mexico
to the great lakes there Is one young
athlete who must be hailed as the peer
OF any Of the men who now occupy
inches in the football hall of fame.
Fred D. Pollard, dusky skinned
young American, halfback on the
Brown team and particularly bright
luminary Of the Brunonian eleven. Is
the man. Practically single handed
the young colored boy has beaten Yale
and Harvard on successive afternoons
on their own fields. He has been the
backbone Of the hammering attack
which has brought Brown through.
tough season with an unbroken string
OF victories. He plays football be-
cause he likes 1t, and his quiet de-
pertinent, grit and stamina, coupled
with his remarkable ability, have fore.
ed crowds at both New Haven and
Cambridge, sorrowful In defeat, to
stand up and acclaim him as he left
the field. -.
Pollard Is now In his second year
at Brown, having matriculated there
last year from Lane Technical high
school, Chicago. 1t is said that be-
fore entering Brown Pollard went up
and looked around Dartmouth, where
his brother had played football some
years ago. His mind was not made
up on what school he would attend,
although he had decided that it would
be either Dartmouth or Brown. He
finally decided on Brown, much to the
sorrow Of Yale and Harvard men, not
to mention the sons of various other
colleges.
There is no hint that Pollard came
to Brown through any persuasion be-
cause of his athletic ability, and this
Is said because sometimes there have
been hints Of proselytizing in the case
Of other star athletes. Sure enough
he played scholastic football, and play
ed well, for three years while stu
dent In Lane Tech, but he was not an
outstanding star. He came to Brown
unknown and made no talk of even
trying for the football team.
AS a matter of fact none of the |
coaches or men interested in football |
up at the Providence university knew
that the quiet young colored boy knew
anything about football. They did
know that in his spare time he used
to come out and watch the practice;
but, then, pretty nearly every other
student does the same thing.
The first inkling the coaches had that
be knew anything about the game was
last year, month after the practice
season had started. One day Pollard
came out to the field and asked the
head coach If he might don uniform
and come out for practice. The coach
asked Pollard If he had ever played
he game, and Pollard told Of his high
school experience. AS result Pollard
'ame out that day and every day there
lfter and finished the season as one of
he stars Of the team.
1t is not all football and hurrah for
Pollard. With him 1t is a case Of drop.
ling the fatiron to be dropped on the
'ridiron. You see, Pollard is working
lis way through college and earns the
money for his expenses by running a
little tailor shop. The work keeps him
'retty busy, and now he has another
olored student helping him. OF course
may be that his business has grown
through his prowess as football play
r, for who would not have his trousers
ressed by man who in a weeks time
an press both Yale and Harvard into
he flatness of defeat?