[3] He was "picked All North Central Conference in 1937 and 1938, and was a Collier's Magazine Little All-America selection in football in 1938.

Pollard competed for the United States in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin in the 110 meter hurdles, winning the bronze medal.

[6] As a student, Pollard majored in physical education, joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and received his bachelor's degree in 1939, becoming one of the first two African Americans to graduate from the University of North Dakota.

He also served in the U.S. Army as a special services officer during World War II.

[4] After a stint working in the Chicago parks and recreation department, he became a Foreign Service officer and retired in 1981 as the director of the State Department's overseas schools for US citizens.