History
The Pros originated in 1916 as the Akron Burkhardts, named for a local family of brewers that sponsored the team. In 1917, Vernon "Mac" McGinnis and Stephen "Suey" Welch bought the team, renamed it the Pros, and brought in several new players from outside Akron.
Like many other semi-pro teams, Akron didn't play in 1918 because of World War I, but resumed action in 1919 and, in 1920, the Pros became a charter member of the new American Professional Football Association APFA.
Now owned by two local businessmen, Frank Neid and Art Ranney, the team won the first APFA championship. The new league didn't keep official standings, but owners voted in April of 1921 to award the title to Akron on the basis of an undefeated record and only 7 points allowed in 9 games.
The Pros had the first black head coach in league history in 1921, when Fritz Pollard served as co-coach with Elgie Tobin. Pollard had been an All-American halfback at Brown University in 1916.
After a third-place finish in 1921, he team began to decline. In 1926, the name was changed to the Indians, which had been an earlier Akron semi-pro team, but that didn't help. Because of financial problems, the team suspended operations in 1927 and surrendered its franchise the following year.