All WW11. He had the same burning drive in 1973 as he did as a rookie coach back in West Virginia in 1933. Significance: The Ben . Popularized erroneously in 1970 by the media as the Syracuse 8, the nine students behind the boycott were Gregory Allen, Richard Bulls, Dana Harrell, John Godbolt, John Lobon, Clarence Bucky McGill, A. Alif Muhammad, Duane Walker, and Ron Womack. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. - Ben Schwartzwalder. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns, Davis was diagnosed with leukemia. Over 25 season, he compiled a 153-91-3 record and led the team an undefeated season in 1959 that included the National Championship. After the intervention of Syracuse football alumnus Jim Brown, who acted as an intermediary between the coach and the players, a black assistant coach was hired. 1/11/2013. Wiping Systems Market Is Likely To Boost In Upcoming Years. And then we played Illinois, and I had to play. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. Quite a story, but as an amateur historian, that kind of second or third hand quote, especially one delivered 50 years after it was shared, makes me very skeptical to its veracity. They basically tried to take all my self-esteem away. The story grew each time it was told. The Syracuse 8 continued their boycott through the 1969 football season. Im just saying you have an opportunity to take that story and do some things thatve never been done. He is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Syracuse, NY. When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award.". The teammates also say that Brown's portrayal misses Davis' essence. He thought there was only one way to play football and that was the rough way . In 1967, Schwartzwalder was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association. Biography Lists News Also Viewed. Following his death in 1993, Schwartzwalder was survived by his daughters, Susan Walker and Mary Scofield, his wife Ruth "Reggie" Schwartzwalder died on August 25, 2012, aged 100. Jim Brown: I was going to leave because it was almost unbearable. During World War II, Schwartzwalder enlisted and served as a paratrooper in the United States Army. But what was Coach Ben like? He was basically a shy, quiet individual who never got very close to the press or general public. . I'm guessing it's after beating WVU to claim the Schwartzwalder Trophy. He coached the first African-American to win a Heisman Trophy and maintained team unity and cohesiveness in a racially charged environment to defeat the all-white Texas Longhorns in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic and win a national championship. He is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Syracuse, NY. In 1941, he was coach of Canton McKinley High School in Ohio when, even though he was in his 30s, he commissioned in the US Army and fought in World War II. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. map this locationGoogle map location After talking to him, I knew we had a movie. Floyd Benjamin Schwartzwalder (June 2, 1909 - April 28, 1993) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, where he trained future National Football League stars such as Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart . Syracuse leads the overall record of the series 31-27, however West Virginia has won the trophy 11 times to Syracuse's 7. They got a long-name coach. And while maybe the alumni didnt get the big name coach, Floyd Burdette Ben Schwartzwalder gave SU its finest hours in football, becoming the most successful football coach in the Universitys history. He thought there was only one way to play football and that was the rough way. (Courtesy Syracuse University Press) "So he looks me in the eye, and he said, 'Well then, you have a decision to make. Yet forget wins and losses. They boycotted knowing that their actions threatened their scholarships as well as potential careers in professional football. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. I just want to know -- what did you feel on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis? You are using an out of date browser. Ben was just an old fashioned guy who thought you were privileged to play. At West Virginia, he became a first-string center at only 148 pounds. Jim was very quiet in the early part of the film, Fleder recalls. The 1959 team was an unprecedented powerhouse with both the toughest offense (313.6 yards rushing, 451.5 yard total and 39 points per game on average) and the toughest defense (giving only 19.3 yards rushing, 96.2 yards total per game on average) in the country. During the spring season, the players attempted to nudge coach Schwartzwalder one more time. Qualities missing from Davis' portrayal in "The Express," opening Friday. National Veterans Resource Center | Daniel & Gayle DAniello Building | 101 Waverly Ave, Syracuse, NY 13244. Floyd Burdette Schwartzwalder (June 2, 1909 - April 28, 1993) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, where he trained future National Football League stars such as Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy . Jim Brown: The coaches. Schwartzwalder played center at West Virginia University, despite weighing only 146 pounds, and was an all-campus wrestler in 1930 in the 155 pound weight class. Corbally and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Carleton met with the boycotting players that spring and committed to hiring a Black assistant football coach before fall practice. Syracuse 8: Tom Smith, Walker, Muhammad, McGill, Lobon, Harrell, Allen, and Godbolt, Spring 1969. Former Syracuse head coach Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder (center with his arm around SU's Ger Schwedes, 16) was no stranger to a good fight including this one involving the Orange and Texas. While the regiment was stateside Capt. Brown portrays Davis as an intense, shy person moved to anger when Schwartzwalder deflects any discriminatory acts. Enjoyed the story, I am sure Czonka repeated what he heard. Several units were simultaneously converging on the same objective in a piecemeal, uncoordinated manner. Reggie was born on January 18, 1912, in Pine Grove, West. BEN SCHWARTZWALDER (1909-93) The game ended and Ben Schwartzwalder walked to the middle of the field, shook hands, exchanged a few words with his opposing coach, then turned and headed toward the dressing room. Syracuse University did not strip the players of their scholarships, but. Born the second daughter to Floyd ("Ben") and Do you find this information helpful? He also wrestled and dodged a young coed who was just as fierce a competitor as he when it came to getting her man. By Frank Giardina For the Gazette-Mail; Jun 10, 2017 Jun 10, 2017 Updated Nov 21, 2017; Comments; "He was like a magnet to good things, always; polite, smart, a real personality," Whelan said. Before Kaepernick, The Syracuse 8 Were Blackballed By Pro Football, WBUR Radio, https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/11/17/syracuse-8-football-boycott-kaepernick. Years after Davis' death, Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder called him "the best kid I ever had anything to do with." "Ernie was just like a puppy dog, friendly and warm and kind," he told. In 1941, Ben found himself a 33 year old high school football coach, working in Canton, Ohio, on the day that the Japanese attached Pearl Harbor. As a paratrooper with the 82nd, he was among the first wave of soldiers that jumped on D-Day in 1944. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. Following his death in 1993, Schwartzwalder was survived by his daughters, Susan Walker and Mary Scofield. Oct 8, 2008 Dennis Quaid has played both a baseball and football star on the big screen but never a coach. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. He thought the first script was a little thin. But it was changing. Soon thereafter, a force of 80 507th paratroopers led by G Company commander, Captain Ben Schwartzwalder, joined the developing battle. He played center at West Virginia University, despite weighing only 146 pounds, and was an all-campus wrestler in 1930 in the 155-pound weight class. The 1959 team was an unprecedented powerhouse with both the toughest offense (313.6 yards rushing, 451.5 yard total and 39 points per game on average) and the toughest defense (giving only 19.3 yards rushing, 96.2 yards total per game on average) in the country. It may not display this or other websites correctly. West Virginia and Syracuse might have a sordid past as Big East rivals, but you'd never know it by what's not at stake in this month's upcoming Camping World Bowl. An endearing photo is one from 90s I believe when Cuse players have Ben raised on their shoulders after a win. After associate coaches ignored the players request to hire a black assistant for a year, one of the Syracuse 8, Greg Allen, met with head coach Schwartzwalder in spring 1969. Truth is sometimes rearranged in screen biographies, when facts aren't dramatic enough for the filmmaker's vision. Both websites for the West Virginia University, where he played center for the Mountaineers and graduated in 1935, and Syracuse University having disappointingly little information on this period of the coach's life. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. It doesnt break down in color. library.syr.edu, Copyright Syracuse University Libraries, A Courageous Stand: The Story of the Syracuse 8, Trustee, Faculty, and Student Committee Report. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. And there was always the female situation -- dont date white girls and you have to play better than anybody else. This remains Syracuse's only national football title in football to date. He was personally decorated by the commander of the 82nd, the legendary General Matthew Ridgeway, who recalled saying to Ben I never expected to see you here to receive this award.. While the team will be forever linked to offensive stars like Davis, consensus All-America guard Roger Davis, and fellow All-Americans Fred Mautino and Bob Yates, the defense . Schwartzwalder's teams went to seven bowl games and won four Lambert Trophies. With the score Reading 13-6, North Carolina state drove All the Way to the Lions goal but Pound it Over. However, his plane was seriously off course and dropped its "stick" of twelve paratroopers some ten miles away from its designated landing zone. He earned a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Presidential Unit Citation. Muhlenberg College was founded in 1848 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, as the Allentown Seminary by Samuel K. Brobst, a Reformed Lutheran minister. Schwartzwalder, 61 years old, has been head coach since 1949. Led by College Football Hall of Fame coach Ben Schwartzwalder, the Orange were unranked to start the season, but climbed to No. According to an email sent to SU's office of athletics communication and passed along to me, Schwartzwalder served in the same World War II unit and fought together during the D-Day invasion of Normandy with Penn State's Harry Edward Wagner, a Phi Betta Kappa graduate. Bemiller was quite literally at the center of Buffalo's American Football League back-to-back championship teams. They believed this practice restricted their talents and abilities and decreased the teams likelihood of winning games. Shortly after Dec. 7, 1941, Canton McKinley lost a coach and the U.S. Army gained a soldier. Syracuse 8 Collection, University Archives. Floyd Little was raised in poverty in New Haven, Connecticut. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. Ben Schwartzwalder grew up in West Virginia, and developed into a superb athlete (a standout wrestler and football player, both in high school and college). 2023 Syracuse University. During the West Virginia fracas, Davis snaps at his coach: "Maybe, just maybe, the rules down here are your rules too. The military also named Schwartzwalder governor of Essen, Germany, for about six months following the fall of Nazi Germany. I have to give Jim Brown a ton of credit. wood stock homemade appx 30 3/4l 2" metal lincoln bust heavy appx 5" politician dewey bust copyright 1899 5" general john j pershing 1917 glass mold. Chancellor John Corbally Records, University Archives. I remember some story like that and Larry committed to SYR because of Ben doing that. I am not sure the assistant coach had the facts correct. Anyways, getting back to the rivalry, the trophy was introduced in 1993 after the death of Coach Ben Schwartzwalder. We created a day for minority students coming back together. Ben was clearly on his way to the top. He was captain of the football team in 1933. The war ended and football again became his life. The two men shook hands outside the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? What is a filmmaker looking for when hes researching a film based on real-life events? One of Buffalo's longest-tenured AFL players, Al Bemiller, passed away on Wednesday. Quaid, who plays legendary Syracuse University coach Ben Schwartzwalder, described his character as "a hard-nosed, tough guy who stormed the beaches at Normandy. His report card shows 178 wins, 96 losses and three ties during his 28-year tenure as a head coach (three years at Muhlenberg, 25 at Syracuse). Youre always having to think of what youre going to say, what youre going to do, where you can go and where you cant. You find it where you find it. The trophy was established in 1993 and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. The coaches? However, that coach often sat in the back of the room and was not listed on the coaching roster. Ben Schwartzwalder . Ben Schwartzwalder was in a relationship with Ruth Schwartzwalder. In the spring of 1970, he arranged for former Syracuse football great Floyd Little 67 to help with spring practice under the guise of an assistant football coach, but the Black athletes were upset to learn it was just for a few days. But in real life, there are people -- white people -- who have done wonderful things because they were just good human beings. He was a member of the 1964 Sugar Bowl team. Ben Schwartzwalder grew up in West Virginia, and developed into a superb athlete (a standout wrestler and football player, both in high school and college). Under Bens leadership, SU produced 22 straight years of non-losing football. And then people, the fans, used to always call for me. Floyd Burdette Schwartzwalder (June 2, 1909 April 28, 1993) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, where he trained future National Football League stars such as Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. Ernie Davis was only weeks from dying the last time Dick Easterly saw his Heisman Trophy-winning teammate. Soon after being drafted No. Those units were from the 17th Waffen-SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Gotz von Berlichingen". He coached high schools in West Virginia and Ohio 1933-41. Neither believes "The Express" captures his personality, or accurately portrays his relationships with head coach Ben Schwartzwalder and teammates. Reggie was the widow of legendary Syracuse University head football coach Floyd Ben Schwartzwalder, who died in 1993. The players believed that many of these issues could be remedied by hiring a black coach. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder had no interest in acknowledging race and how racism affects the experience of black athletes. Christian Rudolph Kessler was the school's first teacher and administrator. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He would lead the program for more than 20 years, a period that would reach its crescendo with a national championship, in 1959. We might have to change and modify things Jim Brown: You can do a hell of a film if you can understand what it is to be a man in America. The greatest part of Ernie Davis was that he could cross over lines. He remained with the 507th PIR when it was reassigned to the newly formed 17th Abn Div, and fought with this unit during the Battle of the Bulge and in the airborne drop across the Rhine River at Wessel in March 1945. "I never expected to see you here to receive this award," said the commander of the 82nd. Please disable your ad blocker to view the video content. He was also a military veteran. For his actions during the invasion, Ben was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, the Presidential Unit Citation, and was promoted to the rank of Major. "He was a real taskmaster. Lots of midgets. Finally, we got the scene where Ernie wants to give his jersey, with No. "When Ed initially reported for duty with G Company, 3rd Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Sep42 at Ft. Benning, Georgia, his company commander was none other than Captain Floyd B. Schwartzwalder, the future head football coach of Syracuse University and eventual gridiron nemesis of Ed Wagner's Nittany Lions. When he refused their request, they walked out of spring practice and leaked their act of resistance to the media. As a first lieutenant and S-1/adjutant of the 3rd Battalion, 507th PIR, he jumped into Normandy in the same air drop as Coach Ben. Syracuse Chancellor John Corbally, prompted by faculty sympathetic to the 8, allowed the players to keep their scholarships and to graduate, which they did. Cemetery staff is on duty Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. His primary recommendation for every injury was ice and rest. The Syracuse 8 demand for equal access as white players to tutors and academic advisors was based on their being relegated to general reading and education classes predicated on notions of their limited academic ability. 5 in our series looking at the coaches and players who have made the biggest impact in Syracuse University sports. Ben enrolled at West Virginia University and went out for football. The funny part is that so many people have known this for years, including myself.". As a paratrooper with the 82nd, he was among the first wave of soldiers that jumped on D-Day in 1944. By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. In 1973, Schwartzwalder retired from coaching and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. Damn right. In 1967, Schwartzwalder was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association. Walk Where They Fought: La Fire, 82d Airborne Division, D-Day 1944 | Armchair General Magazine - We Put YOU in Command! I don't know what the ratio of prisoners to guards would have been. On April 17, 1970, Black members of the football team sent Chancellor John Corbally a letter asking that he address their grievances within two days. In 1941, Ben found himself a 33 year old high school football coach, working in Canton, Ohio, on the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. He developed some of the most impressive running backs the game has ever seen - Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Jim Nance, Floyd Little and Larry Csonka. 1LT Wagner was promoted to commander of the 3rd battalion's headquarters company. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. Parkersburg, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ben_Schwartzwalder&oldid=1140633059, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 00:55. During practices a limit was placed on the number of black players who could be on the field at the same time. Carolina a amp to 0 a Murray state 21 Livingston 0 j. C. Smith 15 William amp Mary 7 a West Liberty 20 Virginia military 9 appalachian 0 Austin play 6 Gonso. Cutting black players from the list of team members mak ing trips. If you look at the Underground Railroad, it wasnt just Harriet Tubman, it was all those white people who risked their lives to help these slaves get up north. The sacrifice that it takes, the [bad stuff] that goes on all around and where it comes from. The demand for a black coach was prompted by the black players accusations of discriminatory practices by their coach, Floyd Ben Schwartzwalder, and his assistant coaches. As a captain in the 82nd Airborne (CO of Company G of the 507th), Schwartzwalder earned distinction during the invasion of Normandy and battles that followed in the last days of the war. In "The Express," Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) is initially depicted as reluctant to recruit Davis (Rob Brown) because he's "too old to butt heads with another Jim Brown," one of the first black athletes to openly defy American racism. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder and the SU football team were having a great season. Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. He produced 22 straight years of non-losing football, took the Orange to seven bowls, and won the national championship in 1959. And less than a handful of men who have entered the coaching profession since Princeton and Rutgers started the madness back in 1869 have recorded as many victories as did this crew-cut, bespectacled quiet little giant out of the hills of West Virginia. Intro: American football player and coach: Was: Sports coach American football player: From: United States of America: Field: Sports: Gender: male: Birth: 2 June 1909: Death: 28 April 1993 (aged 83 years) How does one describe Ben Schwartzwalder? Schwartzwalder had a significant history of recruiting and developing black players during the 1950s and 1960s when many other major programs refused to do so. Syracuse head football coach Ben Schwartzwalder. Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, where he trained future National Football League stars such as Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. Over that time he led Syracuse to its only football national title, in 1959. And if you deal with my life, while Im dealing with all these bad people at Syracuse, I got all these good people out there helping [me]. This month marks 50 years since the Syracuse 8 began their peaceful protest. I loved the genre and I thought Ernie was an intriguing character, but it didnt have any real conflict. Fleder started doing his own research, reading a lengthy Sports Illustrated article by William Nack that dealt with Davis, Brown and racism in college sports in the 60s. After the United States entered World War II, Schwartzwalder joined the U.S. Army and served with the 507th Parachute Infantry of the famed Eighty-second Airborne Division. During the D-Day invasion in 1944, Schwartzwalder parachuted into Normandy and was wounded. He became a company commander and earned the rank of major. Ben passed away in 1993 and is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. He also developed some of the most impressive running backs the game has ever seen Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Jim Nance, Floyd Little and Larry Csonka. !8 holes of golf and Ben never said a word about football. He was a real comedian too. Dropped far behind enemy lines and miles off target, Ben, a Captain in Company G of the 507th, organized his men, established command, and a week later delivered a large group of prisoners to the Allied lines. They show Ben in his Service today for Ben A Memorial Day service will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 4069 Howlett Hill Rd. He was also a military veteran. It was a scene he had repeated several hundred times but on this particular day, November 24, 1973, it was different. This is where that appetite of desire was whetted and the burning determination to succeed was honed. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. He overcame those . In 1959, he also won the national coach of the year award. Floyd Benjamin Ben Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. I didnt know why people loved their university. Despite promising to do so, Schwartzwalder failed to follow through. Schwartzwalder had a knack for developing excellent running backs. Ben always refused to pick a favorite team or make comparisons. You had an amazing four years, breaking records and you make it easier for Ernie to come to school. Hell, the movie's more about him than Ernie. Did you feel the constant pressure or did you acclimate to it? He eventually was able to link up with some 180 other "lost" paratroopers who had been dropped off target. The Schwartzwalder family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. One other thought on that. Although in his thirties, Ben decided he was going to be a paratrooper. Ben Schwartzwalder, Head Coach 1949-73. The student-athletes also repeatedly requested that head football coach Ben Schwartzwalder hire a Black assistant coach, with whom they felt they could talk more easily about problems relating to race. Ben Schwartzwalder was a decent guy, but he was from another era. They included the battalion surgeon who had stayed behind to care for the wounded. The coach is also remembered through the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy which, goes to the winner of each game between West Virginia University (where he had played as a college student) and Syracuse University. Meanwhile, up in central New York, Syracuse was struggling for survival. Los Angeles Times Staff Writer. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) The year was 1959. "Nor would Ben ever talk to Ernie like that.". The public Ben Schwartzwalder often appeared to be a cross between a wounded bear and a crossed bull. That makes it exciting. Chuck Leavitt did a great page-one rewrite of the script. Just watched Seize and Secure a one hour documentary on PBS about the battle to secure the bridge at La Fire on DDay Capt. With the aid of the local French people this small group, isolated behind the German lines, attempted to hold the village of Graignes until the US units moving inland from the invasion beaches could reach their position. Its a great history lesson, offering kids a look at the real-life exploits of Ernie Davis, the trail-blazing Syracuse University running back who in 1961 became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178-96-3 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated. Ruth Simpson Reggie Schwartzwalder, 100, of Syracuse, died peacefully and surrounded by her family on August 25, 2012, at Crouse Hospital. Ben gave Syracuse its finest hours in football. Ben passed away in 1993 and is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Gary Fleders The Express, which hits theaters next month, is really two compelling movies in one. But none of these shortcomings stopped Ben Schwartzwalder from plunging head first into the field of battle. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. He also watched Spike Lees documentary, Jim Brown All-American, which offered more insight into the era. From 1946-48 he coached Muhlenberg (Pa.) College to a 25-5 record before heading to Syracuse to coach the Orangemen. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder (June 2, 1909 April 28, 1993) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, where he trained such future National Football League stars as Jim Brown, as well as the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, Ernie Davis. He wore street clothes at the alumni game, serving as an honorary coach.
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