Capt. 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. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder had no interest in acknowledging race and how racism affects the experience of black athletes. During World War II, Schwartzwalder enlisted and served as a paratrooper in the United States Army. 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? Casualties caused the 507th to regroup and reorganize. Quaid, who plays legendary Syracuse University coach Ben Schwartzwalder, described his character as "a hard-nosed, tough guy who stormed the beaches at Normandy. He was captain of the football team in 1933. 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. 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 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. Lindquist was coming in from the east, and Levy was ensconced in a graveyard across the river at Cauquigny. The coaches? Burials may be scheduled by calling the cemetery staff at (315) 484-1564. Gary Fleder: You came before Ernie. One other thought on that. He was a member of the 1964 Sugar Bowl team. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? Ben Schwartzwalder, who recruited a series of acclaimed running backs as he restored Syracuse to football glory during 25 sparkling seasons that included an undefeated campaign in 1959, died. He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178-96-3 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated. Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. 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. Jim was skeptical, Fleder recalls. The media focused on only one request, the hiring of a black assistant coach, ignoring their other grievances. The two men shook hands outside the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria. The funny part is that so many people have known this for years, including myself.". 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. Syracuse 8 Collection, University Archives. 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. During the spring season, the players attempted to nudge coach Schwartzwalder one more time. He said, You have to realize, in the civil rights movement, there had to be radicals and peacemakers, radicals like Malcolm X and peacemakers like Martin Luther King. 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 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. 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. They boycotted knowing that their actions threatened their scholarships as well as potential careers in professional football. On the Monday following a game, the coaches used to show the game films in Sadler Hall for anyone wishing to see them. 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. 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 captain of the football team in 1933. In 1973, Schwartzwalder retired from coaching and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. He became a company commander and earned the rank of major. Schwartzwalder plays a prominent role in the battle. Penn state then killed the clock and Tom Cherry took a deliberate safety with eight seconds to play to preserve the Victory. 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 . In 1959, he also won the national coach of the year award. He recruited black players not . 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. Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. 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. "By doing the best we can do with the job we have, wherever it is, we can serve our nation in its greatest task.". 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. Jim Brown. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. I just want to know -- what did you feel on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis? Yet forget wins and losses. 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. 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 Schwartzwalder had a knack for developing excellent running backs. 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 A call for help went out and in the end it was that man who was to win more games than Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Bud Wilkinson or Earl Blaik that answered. If Jim Brown was happy, I was happy., Still, what fascinated me was that first conversation between Fleder and Brown. map this locationGoogle map location It was 1963 at Syracuse University's alumni football game, where teammates celebrated the Orangemen's 1959 national championship. 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. 2023 Syracuse University. 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. It was superficial and cloying and didnt give enough dimension to the story. They basically tried to take all my self-esteem away. Syracuse leads the overall record of the series 31-27, however West Virginia has won the trophy 11 times to Syracuse's 7. 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). They believed this practice restricted their talents and abilities and decreased the teams likelihood of winning games. . - Ben Schwartzwalder. Even as a paratrooper, Schwartzwalder remained focused on his football career. 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]. Ben Schwartzwalder was in a relationship with Ruth Schwartzwalder. The private Ben was a very devoted family man who loved to putter around in his garden or who always had time to stop and give a stray dog a reassuring pat on the head or say hello to a youngster. Schwartzwalder, a decorated World War II veteran with just three years of coaching experience at the college level, arrived at Syracuse . 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. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Schwartzwalder is portrayed by actor Dennis Quaid in the 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, a biographical film about Syracuse University Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. All these years later, Easterly still recalls his teammate not only for his football prowess, but also for his warm, comical personality. You find it where you find it. In 1973, Schwartzwalder retired from coaching and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. 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. I know it well. As Dolan approached from the north, Captain Ben Schwartzwalder led more than 40 men of the 507th to the south side of the Manoir, where he was also stopped by machine-gun fire. And then people, the fans, used to always call for me. The ROTC building at Penn State is named after Wagner. A report on Ben Schwartzwalder. Syracuse University did not strip the players of their scholarships, but. kids games foreign dolls asst. Gary Fleder: I just want to make a film that has the essence of Ernie Davis. The public Ben Schwartzwalder often appeared to be a cross between a wounded bear and a crossed bull. 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. He would lead the program for more than 20 years, a period that would reach its crescendo with a national championship, in 1959. Search and browse yearbooks online! Bemiller was quite literally at the center of Buffalo's American Football League back-to-back championship teams. 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 overcame those . "Ed Wagner, Class of '41, is the namesake of the ROTC Building at Penn State. It doesnt break down in color. Ben Schwartzwalder was a decent guy, but he was from another era. 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. Brown portrays Davis as an intense, shy person moved to anger when Schwartzwalder deflects any discriminatory acts. Ernie Davis was only weeks from dying the last time Dick Easterly saw his Heisman Trophy-winning teammate. He gave me a way in to tell this story. Notably, 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 University of Texas team in the Cotton Bowl while winning the 1959 national championship. Mary ScofieldMary Scofield (born Mary Schwartzwalder) passed away on December 7, 2017 after battling ovarian cancer for three years. 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 is part of Syracuse University history, and a veteran of the U.S. military. He graduated from Syracuse University in January 1966 with a bachelor's degree in Economics. And thus, Ruth Simpson became Mrs. Floyd Schwartzwalder. He also wrestled and dodged a young coed who was just as fierce a competitor as he when it came to getting her man. Christian Rudolph Kessler was the school's first teacher and administrator. Almost immediately, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder enlisted in the United States Army, earning his paratrooper wings as part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. After talking to him, I knew we had a movie. 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. Although in his thirties, Ben decided he was going to be a paratrooper. Thats the reason I recruited Ernie, because he was a great, great player and it was starting to change. New York had the highest population of Schwartzwalder families in 1880. 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. He was 80 then and hit every drive down the middle. 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 Schwartzwalder was also a hero of the D-Day invasion and several other important engagements of World War II. This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. 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. Floyd Benjamin Ben Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. Here's more about their relationship (all from the unknown emailer): 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. 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. Ben Schwartzwalder, Head Coach 1949-73. 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". However, Ed Wagner's group overlooked the main route of advance for the German armored forces racing to reinforce the town of Carentan. 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. Google Image Result for https://d3d4f9a2nwdz4m.cloudfront.net/images/2011/9/28/SchwartzwalderBenonshoulderscolor.jpg, The Penn State game looms down there in Jersey; not so long ago, it delivered Dome delirium.