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. All rights reserved (About Us). Collapse. One other thought on that. While the regiment was stateside Capt. What made him tick and what made him one of the giants of the game? 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. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder had no interest in acknowledging race and how racism affects the experience of black athletes. 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. 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. In 1946 he rotated back to the States and was honorably discharged. December 23, 2014 Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. The demand for better medical care was rooted in the fact that the medical doctor for the team was a gynecologist by training and was hesitant to touch black bodies. Less than a dozen men rank in this category. During the war, Schwartzwalder was a military hero, a paratrooper, part of the D-Day invasion in June 1944 fighting behind enemy lines. 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. It was 1963 at Syracuse University's alumni football game, where teammates celebrated the Orangemen's 1959 national championship. In 1967, Schwartzwalder was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association. You must log in or register to reply here. Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder (June 2, 1909 as Floyd Benjamin Schwartzwalder - April 28, 1993) AKA Ben Schwartzwalder 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 Am During the spring season, the players attempted to nudge coach Schwartzwalder one more time. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) The year was 1959. Both taught and Ben began coaching in his home state. 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. All WW11. Richard Winters (played by Damian Lewis), who also received a battlefield promotion to major and was also from West Virginia, like Ol' Ben. After holding off the vastly superior German forc es for four days, the senior officer in command ordered the paratroopers to withdraw under the cover of darkness and attempt to reach Allied lines by exfilling in small bands through the flooded marshes and swollen streams. Biography Edit Early life and career Edit. The priest, his friar and two elderly women who had been caring for the wounded in the local church, a structure dating back to the 12th Century, were summarily shot, and the village then set aflame. He played key roles in the capture of the La Fire Causeway and Sainte-Mre-glise, crucial points of entry into France during the D-Day invasion. Jim Brown. The student-athletes four demands were access to the same academic tutoring as their white teammates; better medical care for all team members; starting assignments based on merit; and racially integrating the coaching staff, which had been all white since 1898. 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. January 25, 2010 Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. Under Bens leadership, SU produced 22 straight years of non-losing football. Played golf in an SU golf outing at Drrumliuns years back with Ben and an offensive lineman on the championship team (Yeager??). After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. Syracuse University Football Recruiting Database, Syracuse Men's Basketball Recruiting Database, La Fire Bridge: The D-Day Battle You Should Have Heard Of. "I see a lot of things that never were done to Ernie but maybe happened to [Syracuse great] Jim Brown (in the 1950s). Syracuse head football coach Ben Schwartzwalder. 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.. 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. In 2006, thirty-six years after leaving the team, during a Syracuse University-University of Louisville halftime ceremony, the nine former players were recognized with their letterman jackets for the courageous stand they took against racism. Schwartzwalder with quarterback Dick Easterly at the Los Angeles Coliseum, 1959. His wife Ruth "Reggie" Schwartzwalder died on August 25, 2012, aged 100. When their request was not met, Greg Allen, Richard Bulls, John Godbolt, Robin Griffin (who only boycotted in the spring), Dana D.J. Harrell, John Lobon, Clarence Bucky McGill, A. Alif Muhammad (then known as Al Newton), and Duane Walker began their boycott of spring football practice. The Orange had won but nine games in four years and everyone was unhappy. 1 after winning their first seven games. Cemetery staff is on duty Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Syracuse leads the overall record of the series 31-27, however West Virginia has won the trophy 11 times to Syracuse's 7. Quick Facts. He is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Syracuse, NY. 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. He was performing these new duties at the battalion headquarters on 28 June when the command post was struck by a direct artillery hit. You see, if Ernie didnt perform, all that nice [stuff] wouldnt have been about nothing. serving during World War II, Ben Schwartzwalder returned home and began coaching college football; and WHEREAS, In 1949, the couple moved to Syracuse, New York, and Ben Schwartzwalder began his long and distinguished coaching career with the football team at Syracuse University; and !8 holes of golf and Ben never said a word about football. Its also a genuine comeback for Fleder, who hasnt made a feature in five years (hes been directing TV pilots), and he finally seems poised to recapture the promise of his early career work on such films as Things To Do in Denver When Youre Dead and Kiss the Girls. Before Fleder began work on the film, he knew he had to have one key figure on board -- Jim Brown, who was a star running back at Syracuse in the 1950s, helped recruit Davis (after Brown left to play in the NFL) and later become an action film star and civil rights activist. Doesn't the story go that when Larry was recruited by all the Big Ten schools and Notre Dame, they only showed him around the football facilities, stadiums and campuses? During the spring season, the players attempted to nudge coach Schwartzwalder one more time. This remains Syracuse's only football national championship to date. The teammates also say that Brown's portrayal misses Davis' essence. Floyd Benjamin Ben Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder began routines of coming up to Elmire to visit Davis and his family. 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). 3 pair military pants 36s 38s 36xs shirt. I didnt know why people loved their university. Hell, the movie's more about him than Ernie. Schwartzwalder's teams went to seven bowl games and won four Lambert Trophies. They then approached the Office of the Chancellor. Courtesy Syracuse Library Special Collections (Syracuse 8 Collection, John Lobon Box 1), African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Racial Conflict - Segregation/Integration, https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/syracuse-football-1960s-race-civil-rights, https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/11/17/syracuse-8-football-boycott-kaepernick, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. Ben Schwartzwalder. He was personally decorated by Matthew Ridgeway who recalled Ben well. Soon after being drafted No. The 1987 Orangemen electrified a crowd of more than 50,000 up there on their campus while routing these Nittany Lions' ancestors behind Don McPherson & Co. Find high-quality images, photos, and animated GIFS with Bing Images. It is where the seeds of the fierce competitor were nurtured and matured. Gary Fleder: I just want to make a film that has the essence of Ernie Davis. Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. See About archive blog posts. "What the director tried to accomplish is showing the conditions of those times," Easterly said. Ben Schwartzwalder College Coaching Records, Awards and Leaderboards | College Football at Sports-Reference.com Ben Schwartzwalder Career Record: 25 Years, 153-91-3, .626 Win% (at major schools) Bowl Record: 7 Games, 2-5, .286 Win% (at major schools) College Football Coaches Ben Schwartzwalder Overview More Other SR Sites The student-athletes stated they would not return until the University hired a Black coach and addressed racial discrimination in starting assignments, the use of racist language by the coaching staff, racial disparities in disciplinary action, lack of academic support, and substandard medical care for all players. 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. 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 Longhorns in the 1960 Cotton Bowl. The Black student-athletes first sent their grievances to Coach Schwartzwalder, though that document does not exist in the University Archives. Jim Brown: I was going to leave because it was almost unbearable. This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. But you needed both of us to make real changes. , Fleder shakes his head. In fact, I never knew what being an alumnus was. Schwartzwalder's teams went to seven bowl games and won four Lambert Trophies. During practices a limit was placed on the number of black players who could be on the field at the same time. 1/11/2013. (Courtesy Syracuse University Press) "So he looks me in the eye, and he said, 'Well then, you have a decision to make. Ben Schwartzwalder began his football career as a 95-pound high school freshman quarterback. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? 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. "He was a real taskmaster. 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. 2023 Syracuse University. He gave me a way in to tell this story. From 1946-48 he coached Muhlenberg (Pa.) College to a 25-5 record before heading to Syracuse to coach the Orangemen. You know, white folks could like him, black folks could like him, without really selling out. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. He would then later imply he was joking or being sarcastic at the time these promises were made. 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. A new head coach, Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder, would take over in 1949. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. Ben passed away in 1993 and is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. I remember all I was thinking was, Great, hes not gonna kill me. After it was over, Jim said, You got it right. That was the best compliment a filmmaker could ask for. Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. We created a day for minority students coming back together. During his 25 years as head coach Syracuse teams outrushed their opponents by more than 22,000 yards. Penn state then killed the clock and Tom Cherry took a deliberate safety with eight seconds to play to preserve the Victory. Syracuse, New York 13244 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. In 1959, he also won the national coach of the year award. He was like a Marine, with a real army attitude. 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). In the spring of 1970, he arranged for former Syracuse football great Floyd . And they made Ben look like a racist, to me.". He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. It may not display this or other websites correctly. 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. 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. You know, the funny thing about cinema is, usually when they do a story that has African Americans in it, there always has to be a white guy whos the savior. 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 . 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. 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. Anyways, getting back to the rivalry, the trophy was introduced in 1993 after the death of Coach Ben Schwartzwalder. During World War II, Schwartzwalder enlisted and served as a paratrooper in the United States Army. No. He was also a military veteran. "We football coaches are most fortunate," Ben said as he left office as the president of the American Football Coaches Association. The three major forces in the dispute have been the eight black athletes, and their spokesman George Moody, director of King-on-campus School; Chancellor John E. Corbally and the administration; and Coach Schwartzwalder, supported by his coaching staff and football squad. And that was the first time I ever felt like an alumni. Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The trophy was established in 1993, the year Schwartzwalder died, and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. Syracuse University did not strip the players of their scholarships, but. He would lead the program for more than 20 years, a period that would reach its crescendo with a national championship, in 1959. 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. (2017, November 17). Schwartzwalder is portrayed by actor Dennis Quaid in the 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express, a biography about Syracuse University Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. 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. You had an amazing four years, breaking records and you make it easier for Ernie to come to school. I will probably buy this book too. 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. When he refused their request, they walked out of spring practice and leaked their act of resistance to the media. He was also a military veteran. I am not sure the assistant coach had the facts correct. They claim key events on screen never occurred, like the team being showered with garbage and racial epithets during a game at West Virginia. But for the guards to be enough men to make a difference in a pitched battle, there must have been a lot of German prisoners for Badass Ben to mow down - if that actually happened. Syracuse University Football Collection, University Archives. Jim Brown: If you deal with the times, you have a pretty gritty story. 44 on it, back to Ben Schwartzwalder, saying Im not Jim Brown. And Ben says to him, God I hope not and God I hope so. And Jim started laughing out loud, watching that, and I finally relaxed. Ben led G Company during the D-Day operation and was decorated with the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry in his first combat action. With the score Reading 13-6, North Carolina state drove All the Way to the Lions goal but Pound it Over. He rose to the rank of major and in the process picked up the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart, four battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. He organized an athletic league from among the soldiers being assembled in England in preparation for D-Day in order to keep the troops motivated and fit. The public Ben Schwartzwalder often appeared to be a cross between a wounded bear and a crossed bull. Ben Schwartzwalder was a decent guy, but he was from another era. 222 Waverly Avenue About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. It is very likely that Lt. Wagner assisted him with this extracurricular athletic program in view of the fact that Ed had been an assistant manager for the Penn State football team in 1939, and as the 3rd Battalion's personnel officer, or S-1, he would have been able to identify unit personnel with football experience and "facilitate" their assignment to "extra duties". Scoop: Fans want The Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy to be awarded to the winner of the 2012 New Era Pinstripe Bowl, which features old Big East rivals Syracuse and West Virginia. The school? However, his plane was seriously off course and dropped its "stick" of twelve paratroopers some ten miles away from its designated landing zone. Significance: The Ben . Lindquist was coming in from the east, and Levy was ensconced in a graveyard across the river at Cauquigny. Led by College Football Hall of Fame coach Ben Schwartzwalder, the Orange were unranked to start the season, but climbed to No. Sc Reggie was born on January 18, 1912, in Pine Grove, West. Oct 8, 2008 Dennis Quaid has played both a baseball and football star on the big screen but never a coach. Heres a clip from a recent Bob Costas interview talking with Brown about Ernie Davis: Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, 15 arrested across L.A. County in crackdown on fraudulent benefit cards, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles. Here's more about their relationship (all from the unknown emailer): Some white teammates stood in solidarity and threatened to boycott if the black players were not allowed back, but they were overpowered by the alumni who wanted all the black players off the team and their scholarships revoked. West Virginia University - Monticola Yearbook (Morgantown, WV), Class of 1932, Page 231 of 392 | E-Yearbook.com has the largest online yearbook collection of college, university, high school, middle school, junior high school, military, naval cruise books and yearbooks. Almost immediately, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder enlisted in the United States Army, earning his paratrooper wings as part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. Gary Fleder: Did you feel it from the players? Floyd Burdette "Ben" Schwartzwalder Birth 2 Jun 1909. . The trophy was established in 1993 and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. In 1969 a group of nine student-athletes boycotted Syracuse Universitys football program to demand change and promote racial equality. These SS troopers also executed the twenty plus wounded US paratroopers who had been too injured to evacuate with the others. So the story is like you said -- its a big story and a small story. 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. 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. 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. He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178963 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated with an 110 record. In fact, he didnt even look at the original script. A i turned . He also was a hero of World War II. Mountaineer fans are just over . Davis still had no idea where he was going to attend, but what sealed the deal with Syracuse was when Jim Brown the former Syracuse . They basically tried to take all my self-esteem away. Davis' accomplishments and abbreviated life inspire the new movie, which Easterly saw at an Orangemen reunion recently. Ben was just an old fashioned guy who thought you were privileged to play. 5 in our series looking at the coaches and players who have made the biggest impact in Syracuse University sports. 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. The media focused on only one request, the hiring of a black assistant coach, ignoring their other grievances. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Ben Schwartzwalder, a pre-war high school coach in West Virginia who served as a major with the army paratroopers during the war, returned home and took over the program as its new coach. Today Ed is buried with many of his fallen comrades from the 507th PIR in the beautiful US Military Cemetery, which overlooks Omaha Beach in Normandy. They identify him as later coaching Syracuse University to the national championship in 1959. After returning home, Schwartzwalder began his college coaching career at Muhlenberg College, where he went 255. The ROTC building at Penn State is named after Wagner. He finally gets his chance in The Express, playing legendary Syracuse coach Ben. Im just saying you have an opportunity to take that story and do some things thatve never been done. He wanted p National Veterans Resource Center | Daniel & Gayle DAniello Building | 101 Waverly Ave, Syracuse, NY 13244. I wasnt crazy about the original script, Fleder told me over lunch recently. Even as a paratrooper, Schwartzwalder remained focused on his football career. 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. "Ernie knew everybody's name and went out of his way to say hello. Even as a paratrooper, Schwartzwalder remained focused on his football career. Parkersburg.