1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team
| 1961 Syracuse Orangemen football | |
|---|---|
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Liberty Bowl champion
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Liberty Bowl, W 15–14 vs. Miami (FL)
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| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 16 |
| AP | No. 14 |
| 1961 record | 8-3 |
| Head coach | Ben Schwartzwalder |
| Home stadium | Archbold Stadium |
The 1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University in the 1961 NCAA University Division college football season. Running back Ernie Davis became the first African-American football player to win the Heisman Trophy.
Ernie Davis was the first black player to be chosen first overall in the NFL Draft. Davis was drafted by the Washington Redskins then traded to the Clevand Browns in the first round of the 1962 American Football League draft. Tragically, he would never play in the NFL; he was diagnosed with leukemia shortly before he was to enter the league, and died in May 1963, less than a year after his diagnosis.
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