What is a filmmaker looking for when hes researching a film based on real-life events? Floyd Benjamin Ben Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. I am not sure the assistant coach had the facts correct. The media focused on only one request, the hiring of a black assistant coach, ignoring their other grievances. 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. You can't be Black and be a . 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. Orange teams outrushed opponents by more than 22,000 yards under Ben. 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. 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.. Those units were from the 17th Waffen-SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Gotz von Berlichingen". 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. He was captain of the football team in 1933. As a member of the famed 82nd Airborne, he parachuted onto Normandy Beach on D-Day in 1944. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. 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. He was personally decorated by Matthew Ridgeway who recalled Ben well. Schwartzwalder, 61 years old, has been head coach since 1949. He recruited black players not . Schwartzwalder's teams went to seven bowl games and won four Lambert Trophies. 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. Under Bens leadership, SU produced 22 straight years of non-losing football. And there was always the female situation -- dont date white girls and you have to play better than anybody else. 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. The team he was coaching at the time was his favorite simply because of his great love of coaching. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. During the West Virginia fracas, Davis snaps at his coach: "Maybe, just maybe, the rules down here are your rules too. I remember Ben as gruff, but kind. Gary Fleder: Did you feel it from the players? 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. At first, Ben Schwartzwalder was a legend at Syracuse. george w bush medal, us defense savings. Despite promising to do so, Schwartzwalder failed to follow through. 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 . Burials may be scheduled by calling the cemetery staff at (315) 484-1564. It's a scene included in tonight's world premier of "The Express" at the Landmark Theatre. With the score Reading 13-6, North Carolina state drove All the Way to the Lions goal but Pound it Over. You see, if Ernie didnt perform, all that nice [stuff] wouldnt have been about nothing. But because that promise already had been made and broken repeatedly, the student-athletes decided to not return to practice and instead hold their own practice for the time being. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Syracuse, NY -- Syracuse football players all heard first-hand stories of hand-to-hand combat involving the head coach of the Orangemen, Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder, from his service as a paratrooper in World War II. Before the summer of 1970, Coach Schwartzwalder agreed but failed to hire a Black assistant coach more than once. 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. Following his completion of ROTC, as a Distinguished. There is so much joy on the faces of the players and Ben. About Ben Schwartzwalder is a member of the following lists: 1993 deaths , American military personnel of World War II and United States Army officers . Mere Eglise. Dec. 15, 1991 12 AM PT. He thought the first script was a little thin. But it was changing. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) The year was 1959. Mountaineer fans are just over . 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. The Black student-athletes first sent their grievances to Coach Schwartzwalder, though that document does not exist in the University Archives. 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). A nice memory. 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. 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. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. During the summer, the black players filed a complaint against Syracuse University and the coaching staff with the Syracuse and Onondaga Human Rights Commission. Syracuse, New York 13244 "I see a lot of things that never were done to Ernie but maybe happened to [Syracuse great] Jim Brown (in the 1950s). They claim key events on screen never occurred, like the team being showered with garbage and racial epithets during a game at West Virginia. I wasnt crazy about the original script, Fleder told me over lunch recently. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder began routines of coming up to Elmire to visit Davis and his family. All WW11. ", Easterly scoffs at that dramatic license. They boycotted knowing that their actions threatened their scholarships as well as potential careers in professional football. 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). 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. At West Virginia, he became a first-string center at only 148 pounds. I don't know what the ratio of prisoners to guards would have been. He is part of Syracuse University history, and a veteran of the U.S. military. He eventually was able to link up with some 180 other "lost" paratroopers who had been dropped off target. And then we played Illinois, and I had to play. You had an amazing four years, breaking records and you make it easier for Ernie to come to school. [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. 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. And they made Ben look like a racist, to me.". According to an email sent to SU's office of athletics communication and passed along to me, Schwartzwalder served in the same World War II unit and fought together during the D-Day invasion of Normandy with Penn State's Harry Edward Wagner, a Phi Betta Kappa graduate. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. You know, white folks could like him, black folks could like him, without really selling out. But you needed both of us to make real changes. , Fleder shakes his head. Ben Schwartzwalder. 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. Wiping Systems Market Is Likely To Boost In Upcoming Years. Sc Ernie doesnt scream and he doesnt protest, but hes raging inside. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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. How does one describe Ben Schwartzwalder? 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. He was a paratrooper in World War II, leaving the serv ice as a . 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. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? 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 a real comedian too. 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. One of Buffalo's longest-tenured AFL players, Al Bemiller, passed away on Wednesday. Over 25 season, he compiled a 153-91-3 record and led the team an undefeated season in 1959 that included the National Championship. Syracuse a Veteran coach Ben Schwartzwalder was musing about his Lack of depth recently. 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. Neither believes "The Express" captures his personality, or accurately portrays his relationships with head coach Ben Schwartzwalder and teammates. 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. Yet forget wins and losses. Youre always having to think of what youre going to say, what youre going to do, where you can go and where you cant. 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. By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. During World War II, Schwartzwalder enlisted and served as a paratrooper in the United States Army. Director Gary Fleder uses Davis' football career to illustrate racial intolerance that Easterly and Whelan claim seldom existed for him. 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 had many reasons for doing what he did, but he stood up against his own people. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart . Biography Edit Early life and career Edit. 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.