Ben Schwartzwalder
Schwartzwalder with quarterback Dick Easterly at the Los Angeles Coliseum, 1959
|
|
| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
June 2, 1909 Point Pleasant, West Virginia |
| Died | April 28, 1993 (aged 83) St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Playing career | |
| 1930–1932 | West Virginia |
| Position(s) | Center |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1935 | Sistersville HS (WV) |
| 1936–1940 | Parkersburg HS (WV) |
| 1941 | Canton McKinley HS (OH) |
| 1946–1948 | Muhlenberg |
| 1949–1973 | Syracuse |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 178–96–3 (college) |
| Bowls | 2–5 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 National (1959) | |
| Awards | |
|
AFCA Coach of the Year (1959) Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1959) Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1977) |
|
|
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1982 (profile) |
|
Floyd Benjamin "Ben" 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 and Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.
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. He was captain of the football team in 1933.
Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. 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. 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.
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 played key roles in the capture of the La Fière Causeway and Sainte-Mère-Église, crucial points of entry into France during the D-Day invasion. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. 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. 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. When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award."
...
Wikipedia