He was bowlegged, sent off to military school and told his IQ was too low to even consider college. After returning home, Schwartzwalder began his college coaching career at Muhlenberg College, where he went 255. And they made Ben look like a racist, to me.". 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. They identify him as later coaching Syracuse University to the national championship in 1959. 20072023 Blackpast.org. In 1969 a group of nine student-athletes boycotted Syracuse Universitys football program to demand change and promote racial equality. 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. When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award.". There is so much joy on the faces of the players and Ben. But none of these shortcomings stopped Ben Schwartzwalder from plunging head first into the field of battle. 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. Gary Fleders The Express, which hits theaters next month, is really two compelling movies in one. Almost immediately, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder enlisted in the United States Army, earning his paratrooper wings as part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. 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. "By doing the best we can do with the job we have, wherever it is, we can serve our nation in its greatest task.". Starting in the fall of 1968, Black football players at Syracuse University expressed concerns about racial discrimination within the football program. Ben Schwartzwalder was in a relationship with Ruth Schwartzwalder. [continued on next page] Pages: 1 2 3 4 You should know his story, because its a Syracuse University story one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. library.syr.edu, Copyright Syracuse University Libraries, A Courageous Stand: The Story of the Syracuse 8, Trustee, Faculty, and Student Committee Report. Davis, 23, died the next month in a Cleveland hospital. The Black student-athletes first sent their grievances to Coach Schwartzwalder, though that document does not exist in the University Archives. "I see a lot of things that never were done to Ernie but maybe happened to [Syracuse great] Jim Brown (in the 1950s). I remember Ben as gruff, but kind. 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 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. In 1959, he also won the national coach of the year award. Quaid, who plays legendary Syracuse University coach Ben Schwartzwalder, described his character as "a hard-nosed, tough guy who stormed the beaches at Normandy. 5 in our series looking at the coaches and players who have made the biggest impact in Syracuse University sports. Despite promising to do so, Schwartzwalder failed to follow through. 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. Reading your post, I flashed on "Band of Brothers", which detailed a company of the 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. It doesnt break down in color. The Schwartzwalder family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. 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. An ad blocker has likely prevented this video content from loading. 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. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. And enthusiasm!! Bemiller was quite literally at the center of Buffalo's American Football League back-to-back championship teams. 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. Then I played Colgate and had a great game and I just sort of broke the back of that whole discriminatory attitude. 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. By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. The most pivotal character was Company Capt. 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. Mostly, we remember Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder as Syracuse University's successful head football coach, 1949 to 1973. This is where that appetite of desire was whetted and the burning determination to succeed was honed. He was also a military veteran. 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. You should know his story. 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. As a member of the famed 82nd Airborne, he parachuted onto Normandy Beach on D-Day in 1944. He also watched Spike Lees documentary, Jim Brown All-American, which offered more insight into the era. He was a paratrooper in World War II, leaving the serv ice as a . 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. Jim was very quiet in the early part of the film, Fleder recalls. From 1946-48 he coached Muhlenberg (Pa.) College to a 25-5 record before heading to Syracuse to coach the Orangemen. ". 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns, Davis was diagnosed with leukemia. kids games foreign dolls asst. No. What is a filmmaker looking for when hes researching a film based on real-life events? During World War II, Schwartzwalder enlisted and served as a paratrooper in the United States Army. You should know his story. You are using an out of date browser. This remains Syracuse's only football national championship to date. As head coach from 1949-73, he mounted an impressive 153-91-3 record there. 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. 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. 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. He was captain of the football team in 1933. 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. List of battleships of the United States Navy, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, West Virginia Mountaineers football players, High school football coaches in the United States, United States Army personnel of World War II, People from Point Pleasant, West Virginia, Players of American football from West Virginia, "'The Express' and the movie's connections to Parkersburg", by Jody Murphy. Wiping Systems Market Is Likely To Boost In Upcoming Years. Later that afternoon, a beaming Davis, seeing Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder, went floating toward him through a. He was personally decorated by Matthew Ridgeway who recalled Ben well. 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. During his 25 years as head coach Syracuse teams outrushed their opponents by more than 22,000 yards. 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) He thought the first script was a little thin. By the end of the war Ben had been promoted to major and during the post-war period of occupation served as the military mayor of Essen, Germany. 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. 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. The ROTC building at Penn State is named after Wagner. 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. He coached high schools in West Virginia and Ohio 1933-41. A new head coach, Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder, would take over in 1949. See About archive blog posts. About Ben Schwartzwalder is a member of the following lists: 1993 deaths , American military personnel of World War II and United States Army officers . Cemetery staff is on duty Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. I know it well. Syracuse University Football Recruiting Database, Syracuse Men's Basketball Recruiting Database, La Fire Bridge: The D-Day Battle You Should Have Heard Of. 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. He would lead the program for more than 20 years, a period that would reach its crescendo with a national championship, in 1959. Schwartzwalder was also a hero of the D-Day invasion and several other important engagements of World War II. Ben Schwartzwalder. 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. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) The year was 1959. But there was to be a delay. 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.. National Veterans Resource Center | Daniel & Gayle DAniello Building | 101 Waverly Ave, Syracuse, NY 13244. Quick Facts. 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. 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. 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. Ben led G Company during the D-Day operation and was decorated with the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry in his first combat action. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. This remains Syracuse's only football national championship to date. Although in his thirties, Ben decided he was going to be a paratrooper. 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. 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. 3 pair military pants 36s 38s 36xs shirt. Ben and Ed trained together and most likely socialized with each other at unit functions and the officers' club. Syracuse a Veteran coach Ben Schwartzwalder was musing about his Lack of depth recently. Fleder admits to being something of a nervous wreck. Point Pleasant, Mason County, West Virginia, USA. You find it where you find it. Neither believes "The Express" captures his personality, or accurately portrays his relationships with head coach Ben Schwartzwalder and teammates. "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. "What the director tried to accomplish is showing the conditions of those times," Easterly said. Gary Fleder: I just want to make a film that has the essence of Ernie Davis. And thus, Ruth Simpson became Mrs. Floyd Schwartzwalder. She was 76 years old. Yet forget wins and losses. "He was like a magnet to good things, always; polite, smart, a real personality," Whelan said. Ben enrolled at West Virginia University and went out for football. Syracuse head football coach Ben Schwartzwalder. 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. Ernie doesnt scream and he doesnt protest, but hes raging inside. 1 after winning their first seven games. In 1946 he rotated back to the States and was honorably discharged. He was 80 then and hit every drive down the middle. The trophy was established in 1993, the year Schwartzwalder died, and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. 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. 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. The basics. Mere Eglise. Over 25 season, he compiled a 153-91-3 record and led the team an undefeated season in 1959 that included the National Championship. Shortly after Dec. 7, 1941, Canton McKinley lost a coach and the U.S. Army gained a soldier. 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. 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. When he refused their request, they walked out of spring practice and leaked their act of resistance to the media. 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 a paratrooper in World War II, rose to the rank of major, and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple . During his 25 years as head coach Syracuse teams outrushed their opponents by more than 22,000 yards. Ben Schwartzwalder. He was like a Marine, with a real army attitude. 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). Your donation is fully tax-deductible. I have to give Jim Brown a ton of credit. Schwartzwalder had a knack for developing excellent running backs. Search and browse yearbooks online! Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. Ben Schwartzwalder . Coach Schwartzwalder led the SU team to an impressive record of 153 wins, 91 losses, and 3 ties, including seven bowl games, and the only National Championship in SUs history (1959 undefeated team). Coach Schwartzwalder led the SU team to an impressive record of 153 wins, 91 losses, and 3 ties, including seven bowl games, and the only National Championship in SUs history (1959 undefeated team). ben schwartzwalder autograph hotel. At West Virginia, he became a first-string center at only 148 pounds. 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 was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. A report on Ben Schwartzwalder. 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? "Miraculously, Ed and the majority of his "lost" group were able to reach the US lines and by 14 June he was reunited with the regiment outside of St. This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. 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. All WW11. All these years later, Easterly still recalls his teammate not only for his football prowess, but also for his warm, comical personality. He earned a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Presidential Unit Citation. 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 . Director Gary Fleder uses Davis' football career to illustrate racial intolerance that Easterly and Whelan claim seldom existed for him. They claim key events on screen never occurred, like the team being showered with garbage and racial epithets during a game at West Virginia. 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. The team he was coaching at the time was his favorite simply because of his great love of coaching. The story grew each time it was told. At first, Ben Schwartzwalder was a legend at Syracuse. 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. "I never expected to see you here to receive this award," said the commander of the 82nd. No portion of this site may be reproduced or duplicated without the express written permission of Syracuse University. Under Bens leadership, SU produced 22 straight years of non-losing football. 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. 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 you needed both of us to make real changes. , Fleder shakes his head. I don't know what the ratio of prisoners to guards would have been. 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. Quot gosh Quot moaned the hard bitten sex paratrooper Quot All we Are is one deep. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. Even as a paratrooper, Schwartzwalder remained focused on his football career. On the Monday following a game, the coaches used to show the game films in Sadler Hall for anyone wishing to see them. 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. The rest is now history. During the summer, the black players filed a complaint against Syracuse University and the coaching staff with the Syracuse and Onondaga Human Rights Commission. The military also named Schwartzwalder governor of Essen, Germany, for about six months following the fall of Nazi Germany. Schwartzwalder was a West Virginia graduate. 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. 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