Ben Schwartzwalder Floyd Benjamin " Ben " Schwartzwalder ( June 2 , 1909 – April 28 , 1993 ) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University , where he trained such future National Football League stars as Jim Brown , as well as the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy , Ernie Davis . 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 . Biography . Early life and career . 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 star s , 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 . " Even as a paratrooper , Schwartzwalder remained focused on his football career . He organized an athletic league from among the soldiers being assembled in England in preparation for D - Day in order to keep the troops motivated and fit . 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 . College coaching . After returning home , Schwartzwalder began his college coaching career at Muhlenberg College , where he went 25 - 5 . He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973 , compiling a 178 - 96 - 3 record , and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated . 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 . This remains Syracuse ' s only football national championship to date . Schwartzwalder ' s teams went to seven bowl game s and won four Lambert Trophies . In 1959 , he also won the national coach of the year award . During his 25 years as head coach Syracuse teams outrushed their opponents by more than 22 , 000 yards . Schwartzwalder had a knack for developing excellent running backs . In addition to Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis , he coached Jim Brown , Floyd Little , Jim Nance , and Larry Csonka through their college careers . Schwartzwalder had a significant history of recruiting and developing black players during the 1950s and 1960s when many other major programs refused to do so . Notably , 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 University of Texas team in the Cotton Bowl while winning the 1959 national championship . Personal . In 1973 , Schwartzwalder retired from coaching and moved to St . Petersburg , Florida . Following his death in 1993 , Schwartzwalder was survived by his daughters , Susan Walker and Mary Scofield , his wife Ruth " Reggie " Schwartzwalder passed away on August 25 2012 , aged 100 . He is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Syracuse , NY . Legacy . In 1967 , Schwartzwalder was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982 . 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 . The trophy was established in 1993 , the year Schwartzwalder died , and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall - of - famer Jim Ridlon . " The Express " . 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 .