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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 741084, member: 289"] PREPARING FOR THE SEASON Ben Schwartzwalder was happy that the school was letting him hold spring practice sessions, rather than following the Ivy League, which had banned the practice. Most of SU’s opponents were practicing in the spring and it gave the Orange parity in that area. He was happy about something else, too. “Schwartzwalder is pleased to notice the increased interest of Jimmy Brown in spring work-outs. Last year Jim didn’t participate in the drills, devoting his entire time to track and lacrosse. However, although he doesn’t report in pads, Brown is at grid workouts for the first half hour each afternoon before reporting to the stickwielders. He is perfecting his timing on running plays.” Speaking of timing, in the southern hemisphere, their summer is our winter and the Melbourne Olympics were scheduled for November. Jim Brown was seriously considering going there to compete in the decathlon. But he decided not to and to concentrate on his football career. That was the best news of all for Ol’ Ben. Herald Journal columnist Jack Slattery reported on “the first time I had ever seen Jimmy Brown play lacrosse. Too see that big boy thunder down the center of the lacrosse field armed with a lacrosse stick can’t be described in any other term than awesome. …Brown is the one that draws gasps of amazement from the crowd. When he gets the ball cradled in his stick and starts in the direction of the goal he literally explodes. Jimmy doesn’t wear pads as do other players. The size of his shoulders fooled me and it wasn’t until just before the end of the game that someone pointed out that Jimmy doesn’t wear shoulder pads. “ Jack noted that the sophomore goal-keeper, Oren Lyons, “looked every bit the part of an All-America goal tender. He handles his job with such nonchalance that he sometimes appears bored with it all. His work doesn’t affect the spectators that way, though.” A picture in the paper showed Ben supervising a blocking drill. The caption read “Little Ben gets ‘em started”. The article reported that 80 candidates reported for spring practice. It was a bigger squad than we’d seen before, “both in numbers and physically as well…the Orange looked like they had some speed afoot.” Another picture showed Ben directing players to climb ropes, a conditioning drill he favored. That summer Ben did his two weeks in the Army reserve “advanced command and general staff schools”. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel but admitted to “being somewhat dazed with the enormity of being a soldier in the up-to-the-minute, modern fashion”. In June Frank Woolever of the Herald-Journal reported that advance ticket sales were no less than four times greater than in 1955 and season tickets were selling at twice the 1955 rate. “Maybe a $19.50 outlay for the same pew for the five home games is not such a foolish investment….The keen interest in collegiate football here is a healthy sports sign. It indicates to school authorities the fans approve the schedules being arranged and adds a vote of confidence in the combined abilities of the versatile coaching staff. Bantam Ben Schwartzwalder may be guilty at times of emitting extra loud moans over the rugged charts but friends who should know say the aggressive little leader loves it all…. It may sound boastful but the experts are hinting Schwartzwalder has 25 over-the-average boys ready to return and take up the downward march on the Archbold field turf for touchdown-land.” 60 players showed up to begin fall drills on August 26, (20 candidates had been voted off the island.). Ben scheduled drills six days a week with Sundays off. There were also “blackboard and movie sessions”. “Heading the list of returnees is Jimmy Brown, the bread and butter halfback who received All-American and All-East recognition from a number of sources following the 1955 campaign. As a senior, the 212 Manhasset, New York athlete should be ready for a banner season.” Actually, Jim’s fall practice was delayed for a week while he recovered from a bad case of the mumps. Also returning were Jim Ridlon who could play end or halfback, guards Ed Bailey, Rudy Farmer, Mike Bill and Ted Warholak, centers Bill Brown and Joe Krivak, tackles Jerry Cashman, Chuck Strid and Jim Podraza, ends Don Althouse and Dick Lasse, quarterback Ferd Kuczala, halfback Ed Ackley and fullbacks Gus Zaso and Alan Cann. One concern was Kuzala’s shoulder, which was coming off surgery: he was our only experienced quarterback. Ridlon was described with Brown as perhaps the most gifted halfbacks playing on the same college team this fall. These players had had considerable success but also considerable frustration in going 4-4 and 5-3 the two previous years. They were ready for a bust-out season in 1956. Joining them were some promising but untested sophomores: quarterback Chuck Zimmerman, a local high school hero at CBA who transferred back from Fordham, Dan, (aka Chuck), Fogarty, another quarterback,(whose father had been one of the famous “reindeer Five” basketball teams at SU in the alter 20’s), end Tom Stephens, guard Ron Luciano, (yes THAT Ron Luciano), tackle Maury Youmans, (of North Syracuse High School), halfbacks Ernie Jackson and Dean Danigelis. An article listed Luciano as 6-3 222, John Seketa as 6-2 216 and Roger Groce as 6-0 222 and said they were an indication of the size and strength of the sophomore class. [/QUOTE]

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