Fleder didnt simply want Browns take on Davis; he wanted to hear what the former football star thought of Ben Schwartzwalder, the legendary Syracuse coach who wasnt so enthralled by the civil rights fervor that was starting to sweep the nation. Biography Edit Early life and career Edit. At West Virginia, he became a first-string center at only 148 pounds. It doesnt break down in gender. It was superficial and cloying and didnt give enough dimension to the story. Honoring Black History: Point Pleasant's Ben Schwartzwalder Who is Ben Schwartzwalder dating? Ben Schwartzwalder girlfriend, wife Walk Where They Fought: La Fire, 82d Airborne Division, D-Day 1944 Coach Ben Schwartzwalder and the SU football team were having a great season. 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. The two men shook hands outside the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria. Ben Schwartzwalder - NNDB Even as a paratrooper, Schwartzwalder remained focused on his football career. Over 25 season, he compiled a 153-91-3 record and led the team an undefeated season in 1959 that included the National Championship. "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. 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 know, white folks could like him, black folks could like him, without really selling out. Schwartzwalder, a decorated paratrooper during World War II in the 82nd Airborne Division who was among the first wave of soldiers that jumped at D-Day in 1944, coached the Orange from 1949 through 1973. This remains Syracuse's only football national championship to date. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. But in real life, there are people -- white people -- who have done wonderful things because they were just good human beings. No. The team he was coaching at the time was his favorite simply because of his great love of coaching. 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. He rose to the rank of major and was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, and a Presidential Unit citation. The ROTC building at Penn State is named after Wagner. 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. The military also named Schwartzwalder governor of Essen, Germany, for about six months following the fall of Nazi Germany. 3 pair military pants 36s 38s 36xs shirt. All WW11. He was captain of the football team in 1933. 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.. Born the second daughter to Floyd ("Ben") and And enthusiasm!! Search and browse yearbooks online! 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. He brought the school it's one and only national championship and undefeated season in 1959, but as his career progressed, it seemed to produce more and more cracks in a once so respected man. He would lead the program for more than 20 years, a period that would reach its crescendo with a national championship, in 1959. Oct 8, 2008 Dennis Quaid has played both a baseball and football star on the big screen but never a coach. About Ben Schwartzwalder is a member of the following lists: 1993 deaths , American military personnel of World War II and United States Army officers . When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award.". Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award.". 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. He didn't starve as a boy growing up but he knew what it was to want. They boycotted knowing that their actions threatened their scholarships as well as potential careers in professional football. Over that time he led Syracuse to its only football national title, in 1959. At Syracuse, I was the radical and Ernie was the peacemaker, the guy everyone loved. He thought the first script was a little thin. 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. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder began routines of coming up to Elmire to visit Davis and his family. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart . And according to the emailer, Schwartzwalder and Wagner served together as paratroopers in the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Dropped far behind enemy lines and miles off target, Ben organized his command immediately and a week later brought a bunch of prisoners to the Allied lines. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. During the war, Schwartzwalder was a military hero, a paratrooper, part of the D-Day invasion in June 1944 fighting behind enemy lines. 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. By Frank Giardina For the Gazette-Mail; Jun 10, 2017 Jun 10, 2017 Updated Nov 21, 2017; Comments; "He would never in a million years talk to Ben Schwartzwalder like that," Easterly said. Celebrating the 1959 SU football team | WSYR A small donation would help us keep this available to all. 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. It is where the seeds of the fierce competitor were nurtured and matured. Syracuse, New York 13244 The coaches? Cemetery Policies Our goal is to provide and maintain a facility of respect and dignity for the men and women of the military and their families. Chuck Leavitt did a great page-one rewrite of the script. 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. Ben Schwartzwalder and Related Topics - hyperleap.com Damn right. You see, if Ernie didnt perform, all that nice [stuff] wouldnt have been about nothing. Despite promising to do so, Schwartzwalder failed to follow through. Schwartzwalder had a famous Penn State teammate in Normandy - syracuse Just watched Seize and Secure a one hour documentary on PBS about the battle to secure the bridge at La Fire on DDay Capt. Ben Schwartzwalder (2004) - WVU Sports Hall of Fame Led by College Football Hall of Fame coach Ben Schwartzwalder, the Orange were unranked to start the season, but climbed to No. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. I wasnt crazy about the original script, Fleder told me over lunch recently. Hon. Mordue Obituary (1942 - 2022) - Syracuse, NY - Syracuse Post Standard Unresolved Grievances - Syracuse 8 - Syracuse University 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". He also watched Spike Lees documentary, Jim Brown All-American, which offered more insight into the era. Syracuse University Football Recruiting Database, Syracuse Men's Basketball Recruiting Database, La Fire Bridge: The D-Day Battle You Should Have Heard Of. He wanted p 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. A good starting place is his home state of West Virginia. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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 had a significant history of recruiting and developing black players during the 1950s and 1960s when many other major programs refused to do so. The greatest part of Ernie Davis was that he could cross over lines. Did you feel the constant pressure or did you acclimate to it? Jim Brown: The other star of "The Express" - Los Angeles Times Here's more about their relationship (all from the unknown emailer): 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. By 1941, he had earned a name for himself and was offered the head coaching job at Canton McKinley High School in Ohio, one of the top jobs in the Midwest. 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. Gary Fleder: I just want to make a film that has the essence of Ernie Davis. By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. There is so much joy on the faces of the players and Ben. During the spring season, the players attempted to nudge coach Schwartzwalder one more time. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. I didnt know why people loved their university. Schwartzwalder was the head football coach of the Syracuse Orange from 1949 to 1973. Despite promising to do so, Schwartzwalder failed to follow through. Ron Womack had been removed from the roster due to an injury, a coaching decision he and his Black teammates viewed with suspicion, but he supported them through the whole boycott and is counted with them. And then we played Illinois, and I had to play. 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 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 and Ohio a year at Canton McKinley High School and won two state championships. "I never expected to see you here to receive this award," said the commander of the 82nd. 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 (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. Casualties caused the 507th to regroup and reorganize. Ben enrolled at West Virginia University and went out for football. 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. About Ben Schwartzwalder: American football player and coach (1909 Those units were from the 17th Waffen-SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Gotz von Berlichingen". He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178-96-3 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated. However, Ed Wagner's group overlooked the main route of advance for the German armored forces racing to reinforce the town of Carentan. Floyd Burdette "Ben" Schwartzwalder Birth 2 Jun 1909. An ad blocker has likely prevented this video content from loading. 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. 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. Ben Schwartzwalder was a decent guy, but he was from another era. St Louis Sporting News Archives, Oct 7, 1967, p. 58 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. 1 after winning their first seven games. Christian Rudolph Kessler was the school's first teacher and administrator. Less than a dozen men rank in this category. Dennis Quaid: I Cleaned My Life Up - Parade: Entertainment, Recipes Fleder admits to being something of a nervous wreck. BIO. 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. Death 28 Apr 1993 (aged 83) . Ruth "Reggie" Simpson Schwartzwalder (1912-2012) - Find a Grave So the story is like you said -- its a big story and a small story. The basics. 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. 5 in our series looking at the coaches and players who have made the biggest impact in Syracuse University sports. In 1959, he also won the national coach of the year 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 . If Jim Brown was happy, I was happy., Still, what fascinated me was that first conversation between Fleder and Brown. It was a scene he had repeated several hundred times but on this particular day, November 24, 1973, it was different. It's everyone's fight, even if it's not specifically your story Racism on the Gridiron: Protest and Tear Gas at Syracuse University But what do you do when youve got these circumstances? Syracuse University did not strip the players of their scholarships, but. 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. Brown portrays Davis as an intense, shy person moved to anger when Schwartzwalder deflects any discriminatory acts. When Ben recruited Larry, he did all that and also drove Larry out to the beautiful Central NY countryside and showed him where he could hunt and fish. library.syr.edu, Copyright Syracuse University Libraries, A Courageous Stand: The Story of the Syracuse 8, Trustee, Faculty, and Student Committee Report. Ben Schwartzwalder was a decent guy, but he was from another era. 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. Parkersburg. He gave me a way in to tell this story. 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. I don't know what the ratio of prisoners to guards would have been. (Courtesy Syracuse University Press) "So he looks me in the eye, and he said, 'Well then, you have a decision to make. Later that afternoon, a beaming Davis, seeing Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder, went floating toward him through a. However, his plane was seriously off course and dropped its "stick" of twelve paratroopers some ten miles away from its designated landing zone. He was also a military veteran. Yet forget wins and losses. When he refused their request, they walked out of spring practice and leaked their act of resistance to the media. Quick Facts. Syracuse's 1959 National Championship Team 'Had No Weaknesses' 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. Ed was killed and the acting battalion commander seriously wounded. "What the director tried to accomplish is showing the conditions of those times," Easterly said. Lindquist was coming in from the east, and Levy was ensconced in a graveyard across the river at Cauquigny. Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 00:55, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "'The Express' and the movie's connections to Parkersburg", by Jody Murphy. Syracuse Chancellor John Corbally, prompted by faculty sympathetic to the 8, allowed the players to keep their scholarships and to graduate, which they did. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. Frank Giardina: Sports Legend Dinner, relationships, Ben Schwartzwalder and D-Day. Davis, 23, died the next month in a Cleveland hospital. How Floyd Little Decided To Play Football At Syracuse: The Non All Rights Reserved. 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. 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 had an amazing four years, breaking records and you make it easier for Ernie to come to school. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. 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. 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. She was 76 years old. Adversity and Ben were old combatants and Ben usually won. Even if you go to Syracuse now, there is a constant battle that goes on. You should know his story. 222 Waverly Avenue 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. 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 . 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 is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Syracuse, NY. 20072023 Blackpast.org. After returning home, Schwartzwalder began his college coaching career at Muhlenberg College, where he went 255. Schwartzwalder, Floyd Burdette ("Ben") - Encyclopedia.com 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. Since Davis grew up with his grandfather, he always wanted his grandfather, "pops" to have a say in what he did. 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. Schwartzwalder's teams went to seven bowl games and won four Lambert Trophies. A nice memory. The trophy was established in 1993 and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. I am not sure the assistant coach had the facts correct. He also was a hero of World War II. Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Floyd Benjamin Ben Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. You should know his story, because its a Syracuse University story one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) The year was 1959. Ben always refused to pick a favorite team or make comparisons. On the Monday following a game, the coaches used to show the game films in Sadler Hall for anyone wishing to see them. Meanwhile, up in central New York, Syracuse was struggling for survival. Frank Giardina: Sports Legend Dinner, relationships, Ben Schwartzwalder Played golf in an SU golf outing at Drrumliuns years back with Ben and an offensive lineman on the championship team (Yeager??). Quot gosh Quot moaned the hard bitten sex paratrooper Quot All we Are is one deep. The war ended and football again became his life. Before Kaepernick, The 'Syracuse 8' Were Blackballed By Pro Football - WBUR He finally gets his chance in The Express, playing legendary Syracuse coach Ben. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns, Davis was diagnosed with leukemia. Schwartzwalder, a decorated World War II veteran with just three years of coaching experience at the college level, arrived at Syracuse . Cemetery staff is on duty Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Syracuse Eight - Tumblr Very similar to Ronald Spiers story in episode 2 of that series when he supposedly gave a handful of German soldiers a cigarette and then executed all but one. In 1946, Ben came east and guided Muhlenberg to a 25-5 slate in three years. 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. 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. Ben Schwartzwalder Wiki - everipedia.org "We football coaches are most fortunate," Ben said as he left office as the president of the American Football Coaches Association. He graduated from Syracuse University in January 1966 with a bachelor's degree in Economics. He was captain of the football team in 1933. He was a paratrooper in World War II, leaving the serv ice as a . Ben passed away in 1993 and is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. He was like a Marine, with a real army attitude. On the right side of the photograph are several Black team members who boycotted the football program the following spring.