By the time he was in college, it was apparent that he wasn't going to weigh much more than 150 and grow taller than 5-9. 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. Finally, we got the scene where Ernie wants to give his jersey, with No. Ben Schwartzwalder. There is so much joy on the faces of the players and Ben. I just want to know -- what did you feel on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis? 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. But what do you do when youve got these circumstances? As head coach from 1949-73, he mounted an impressive 153-91-3 record there. 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. Syracuse leads the overall record of the series 31-27, however West Virginia has won the trophy 11 times to Syracuse's 7. Under Bens leadership, SU produced 22 straight years of non-losing football. This remains Syracuse's only football national championship to date. Director Gary Fleder uses Davis' football career to illustrate racial intolerance that Easterly and Whelan claim seldom existed for him. He was a paratrooper in World War II, rose to the rank of major, and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple . 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. Oct 8, 2008 Dennis Quaid has played both a baseball and football star on the big screen but never a coach. (2017, November 17). Despite promising to do so, Schwartzwalder failed to follow through. 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. The public Ben Schwartzwalder often appeared to be a cross between a wounded bear and a crossed bull. 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. But none of these shortcomings stopped Ben Schwartzwalder from plunging head first into the field of battle. "What the director tried to accomplish is showing the conditions of those times," Easterly said. Neither believes "The Express" captures his personality, or accurately portrays his relationships with head coach Ben Schwartzwalder and teammates. 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). 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). library.syr.edu, Copyright Syracuse University Libraries, A Courageous Stand: The Story of the Syracuse 8, Trustee, Faculty, and Student Committee Report. Yet forget wins and losses. Capt. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. Following his death in 1993, Schwartzwalder was survived by his daughters, Susan Walker and Mary Scofield. It's a scene included in tonight's world premier of "The Express" at the Landmark Theatre. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Chuck Leavitt did a great page-one rewrite of the script. Damn right. He had many reasons for doing what he did, but he stood up against his own people. Here's more about their relationship (all from the unknown emailer): Coach Ben Schwartzwalder began routines of coming up to Elmire to visit Davis and his family. He recruited black players not . JavaScript is disabled. Penn state then killed the clock and Tom Cherry took a deliberate safety with eight seconds to play to preserve the Victory. At first, Ben Schwartzwalder was a legend at Syracuse. 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.. That makes it exciting. In 1973, Schwartzwalder retired from coaching and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. Syracuse head football coach Ben Schwartzwalder. Even if you go to Syracuse now, there is a constant battle that goes on. Im just saying you have an opportunity to take that story and do some things thatve never been done. Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. But its also a great drama about how both the athletes and coaches of that era were profoundly transformed by the civil rights movement, which initially had a far greater impact on society than on the football field. He was a member of the 1964 Sugar Bowl team. Parkersburg. The military also named Schwartzwalder governor of Essen, Germany, for about six months following the fall of Nazi Germany. He was also a military veteran. Schwartzwalder plays a prominent role in the battle. When the Waffen-SS troops finally overran Graignes, they took out severe revenge on the villagers for having "collaborated with the enemy". 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. Since Davis grew up with his grandfather, he always wanted his grandfather, "pops" to have a say in what he did. Did you feel the constant pressure or did you acclimate to it? Ben Schwartzwalder. Schwartzwalder had a knack for developing excellent running backs through their college careers, including Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, Jim Brown, Floyd Little, Jim Nance, and Larry Csonka. 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. During the war, Schwartzwalder was a military hero, a paratrooper, part of the D-Day invasion in June 1944 fighting behind enemy lines. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns, Davis was diagnosed with leukemia. By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. Jim told me something really amazing that put things in perspective. Then I played Colgate and had a great game and I just sort of broke the back of that whole discriminatory attitude. Ben enrolled at West Virginia University and went out for football. You are using an out of date browser. 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. Schwartzwalder with quarterback Dick Easterly at the Los Angeles Coliseum, 1959. An endearing photo is one from 90s I believe when Cuse players have Ben raised on their shoulders after a win. Schwartzwalder, 61 years old, has been head coach since 1949. 2023 Syracuse University. Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The Syracuse 8 continued their boycott through the 1969 football season. He was also a military veteran. He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178-96-3 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated. Syracuse University Football Recruiting Database, Syracuse Men's Basketball Recruiting Database, La Fire Bridge: The D-Day Battle You Should Have Heard Of. 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 was performing these new duties at the battalion headquarters on 28 June when the command post was struck by a direct artillery hit. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Finally he called Brown, who lives here in L.A., and set up a meeting. He is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Syracuse, NY. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? I didnt know why people gave them money -- I didnt know any of that. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. [1] He coached high school football for six years in West Virginia a year at Sistersville High School, followed by the Parkersburg High School Big Reds football from 1936 to 1940[1] and Ohio a year at Canton McKinley High School[1] and won two state championships. He coached the 507th PIR football team, leading them through a ten game season in which the 507th was never defeated and never even scored upon. 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. 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. He didn't starve as a boy growing up but he knew what it was to want. Point Pleasant, Mason County, West Virginia, USA. At Syracuse, I was the radical and Ernie was the peacemaker, the guy everyone loved. It was 1963 at Syracuse University's alumni football game, where teammates celebrated the Orangemen's 1959 national championship. 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. He was a paratrooper in World War II, leaving the serv ice as a . With the score Reading 13-6, North Carolina state drove All the Way to the Lions goal but Pound it Over. 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. On the right side of the photograph are several Black team members who boycotted the football program the following spring. 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. He was captain of the football team in 1933. 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 He was basically a shy, quiet individual who never got very close to the press or general public. 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. Enjoyed the story, I am sure Czonka repeated what he heard. . george w bush medal, us defense savings. "I never expected to see you here to receive this award," said the commander of the 82nd. An hour before the game, Al Davis stands at the 50-yard line of the silent Coliseum, surveying the field through his sunglasses darkly, as . Cutting black players from the list of team members mak ing trips. His wife Ruth "Reggie" Schwartzwalder died on August 25, 2012, aged 100. He earned a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Presidential Unit Citation. They wanted me to change positions, all kinds of stuff. In 1959, he also won the national coach of the year award. 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. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Ben Schwartzwalder AKA Floyd Burdette Schwartzwalder Born: 2-Jun - 1909 Birthplace: Point Pleasant, WV Died: 28-Apr - 1993 Location of death: St. Petersburg, FL Cause of death: Heart Failure Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Football Nationality: United States They identify him as later coaching Syracuse University to the national championship in 1959. 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. You should know his story, because it's a Syracuse University story - one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. 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. You had an amazing four years, breaking records and you make it easier for Ernie to come to school. They believed this practice restricted their talents and abilities and decreased the teams likelihood of winning games. Syracuse passing More than Ever in Ben Schwartzwalder s 19 year career took holy Cross apart 41-7. What did Jim Brown say that made such a difference? 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. "Unfortunately, little else is known about Coach Schwartzwalder's rather outstanding military service in World War II. He was also a military veteran.