Akron Indians The Akron Pros refers to a professional football team that played in Akron , Ohio from 1908 – 1926 . The team originated in 1908 as a semi - pro team named the Akron Indians , however name was changed to the Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter member of the American Professional Football Association ( later renamed the National Football League ) . The team took up the Indians name again in 1926 , before folding . The team also played in 1916 as the Akron Burkhardts , named after a local family of brewers that sponsored the team . Fritz Pollard , the first African - American head coach in the NFL , co - coached the Pros in 1921 . Paul Robeson played for the team in 1921 as well . He was among the earliest stars of professional football , before it became segregated from 1934 to 1946 . In 1926 , the name was changed back to the Akron Indians , after the earlier semi - pro teams . Due to financial problems , the team suspended operations in 1927 and surrendered its franchise the following year . History . Origins . Prior to 1908 , several semi - pro and amateur teams dominated the Akron football scene . The most dominant of these was a team known as the Akron East Ends . The East Ends ' dominance of Ohio football went unmatched until the Massillon Tigers paid several ringers from the recently defunct Pittsburgh Stars to defeat the East Ends in 1903 . The Akron Indians date as far back as 1908 . The early Indians teams went on to win Ohio League championships in 1908 , 1909 , 1913 and 1914 . The team was always referred to as the Indians by the fans . From 1908 – 1913 , the Indians had a reputation of playing more of a style of football seen at the college level than that of the early athletic clubs . For example the Indians preferred passing the ball as opposed to running . The team tied for the Akron city title in 1908 , and later won the title outright a year later . Parratt ' s Indians . Before the 1912 season , Peggy Parratt , an early football star with the Massillon Tigers , Franklin Athletic Club and the Shelby Blues , joined the Indians . He took the move realizing that he could make more money in the large football market that Akron provided . When he arrived in Akron , his first move was to change the team name from the " Akron " Indians to " Parratt ' s Indians " . With Peggy as player , coach , and owner - manager , the Indians split their series with Shelby and twice defeated Canton , 14 - 7 and 19 - 7 . However they were defeated by the unheard of Elyria Athletics , who then took the Ohio championship . The Athletics were mostly former Blues player who formed a team in Elyria after Parratt left for Akron . The following season , Parratt brought most of Elyria ' s 1912 championship team to Akron , and adding them to his roster . The Indians then beat Shelby and Elyria . They also managed to tie the rapidly improving Canton Pros . During Indians championship game against Shelby , the Blues loaded their team with a collection of famous players from big eastern schools and supported each member with a payroll of $ 700 for just that one game . However a the game cancelled due to snowstorm . A week later when the Blues returned to Akron , the Indians were prepared with newly recruited talent that was viewed as even superior to that of Shelbys . The Indians won the game 20 - 0 and brought the Ohio title back to Akron . For his 1914 recruiting efforts , Parratt signed the usual big names players , which consisted of a lineup that hanged from week to week , with just enough stars on hand to guarantee a win . However in 1914 , he also employed several former Notre Dame stars , including the legendary Knute Rockne , Howard " Horse " Edwards , " Deke " Jones , and Joe Collins . As well as several Ohio collegiate stars like Ed Kagy , Dwight Wertz , Homer Davidson , Dutch Powell , Frank Nesser and Ralph " Fat " Waldsmith . By late season , the entire left side of his Akron Indian line was from Notre Dame . The team dominated the Ohio League for the season , however the managed to lose to Canton 6 - 0 on November 15 , 1914 . However despite the win Canton ' s captain Harry Turner died when his spine broke during a tackle on Akron fullback Joe Collins . Turner ' s death marked the first fatal accident involving a major professional football team in Ohio . To avoid an Akron title in 1915 the owners of the Massillon Tigers raided Parratt ' s Akron roster and took away many of his star players . Canton manager , Jack Cusack , also picked up some former Akron players and , signed Jim Thorpe , to his renamed Canton Bulldogs team . By the end of the season , Parratt ' s team was made up mostly of Akron sandlotters . After the disastrous 1915 season , Parratt returned to Cleveland , where he took some of his former Akron players and a few ex - collegians into a respectable team which he named the Cleveland Tigers . Akron Burkhardts . In 1916 a local brewer , Burkhardt Brewing Company , took over the remains of the Indians and renamed the club the Akron Burkhardts . The team was reorganized by Howe Welch and his brothers Chang and Suey . After three seasons , Welch was a player , coach and manager for Akron , playing against many of professional football ' s early stars . The 1916 Burkhardts had a winning record despite falling to the Bulldogs and splitting a two game series with the Columbus Panhandles . In 1918 the team was once again renamed the Indians , however this is disputed due many records of the time still refer to the club as the Burkhardts until 1920 . The 1919 team , finished their season 5 - 5 - 0 . However the Indians lost money despite the presence of one of the country ' s best breakaway runners , Fritz Pollard ( The league ' s first black player ) . From 1917 through 1918 , the Indians name was sold off to Suey Welch , who fielded it as an independent club . Akron Pros . After experiencing finanicial losses from 1912 – 1919 , the team was sold to Art Ranney , an Akron businessman and former football player at Akron University , and Frank Nied , a cigar store proprietor in 1920 . The new owners soon dropped the Indian moniker and went with " Pros , " hoping to inspire better results , or at least better attendance . Founding of the NFL . The minutes for the September 17 , 1920 meeting that formed the AFPA , were kept on the stationary of the Akron Pros football team by one of the owners , Art Ranney . Ranney was then elected secretary - treasurer of the league . 1920 NFL Champions . Pollard and most of the top 1919 players planned to return to the Pros in 1920 . The team opened the season at League Park in early October by defeating the Wheeling Stogies , 43 - 0 . Al Nesser , one of the infamous football - playing Nesser Brothers , reportedly scored three touchdowns on fumble recoveries . The following week the Pros defeated the Columbus Panhandles 37 - 0 using former guard , Frank McCormick as a wingback . After a 13 - 0 win over the Cincinnati Celts , the Pros played the Cleveland Tigers , a team composed mainly of ex - stars from the Massillon Tigers . Ironically Bob Nash , who played for Massillon in 1919 , broke up a Stan Cofall punt resulting in an Akron touchdown and a final score of 7 - 0 . The Pros then shocked the league by beating the Canton Bulldogs , who were considered the top team in the nation in 1920 with stars Jim Thorpe , Joe Guyon , Pete Calac and Pete Henry , 10 - 0 . However after a rained out game against the Detroit Heralds , the Pros played a reorganized Tigers team that held the Pros to a 7 - 7 tie . The team , under the rushing of Pollard and McCormick , rebounded by defeating the Dayton Triangles 13 - 0 . After a 7 - 0 victory in a rematch to Canton , as well as a second win over Dayton , the Pros were recognized as the top team in Ohio . The Pros then held the Buffalo All - Americans to a scoreless tie in front of only 3 , 000 . At the game , Nied and Ranney agreed to sell Bob Nash to Buffalo for $ 300 and five per cent of the gate , in the first known player deal between NFL clubs . However since the Pros held the best record in the league , they only had to avoid losing a game , while Buffalo and the Chicago Staleys had to win in order to capture the AFPA Championship . The Pros held the Staleys to a scoreless tie in front of 12 , 000 fans at Cub Park . Both the All - Americans and the Staleys complained about the championship , arguing that Akron had not defeated them . The Pros were not named the AFPA Champs until April 30 , 1921 , after the team managers got together at Canton and voted the title to Akron . Neid and Ranney were on - hand at the meeting to accept the Brunswick - Balke Collender Cup . According to modern NFL tie - breaking rules , the 1920 Buffalo All - Americans would be co - champions . They would be tied with the Akron Pros in win percentage , 9½ wins to 1½ losses ( . 864 ) , both teams beating out the Decatur Staleys , who would have a season that counted 11 wins to 2 losses ( . 846 ) . Decline . The Pros finished in 3rd place in 1921 and 10th place in 1922 . The team only finished higher than 13th place in 1925 , when it completed the season at fifth . Following the 1925 season , the Pros became the Akron Indians . This new team played for the next four seasons before disbanding due to declining financial support and the team ’ s poor record after the 1926 season . The team suspended operations in 1927 and formally surrendered its franchise the following year .