Carl Pohlad was born on August 23, 1915, in Des Moines, Iowa, to poor parents of Slovak descent, Mary M. (Sodak) and Michael Pohlad. He grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa and graduated from Valley High School in West Des Moines in 1934. He attended and played football for Compton Junior College in Southern California for a short time. Bing Crosby saw him play football and recruited him to play for his alma mater, Gonzaga University in Washington. Pohlad attended Gonzaga but dropped out after the football season of his senior year.