Ade Schwammel
Encyclopedia
Adolphe "Ade" John Schwammel (October 14, 1908 – November 18, 1979) was an American football
offensive tackle who played five seasons in the National Football League
with the Green Bay Packers
.
in Oakland, California
and starred in football
.
for his college education and to play football
. He ettered in football from 1931 through 1933, earning first team All-America
n and All-Pacific Coast Conference
at tackle as a senior was chosen as an All-American at tackle for the 1933 season, for a team that had a 6-2-2 record that included a win over powerhouse Fordham University
and a scoreless tie with the USC Trojans
, ending USC's 26-game winning streak in a game played with exactly 11 players without any substitutions by Oregon State. He was also chosen to play in the 1934 East-West Shrine Game
.
Schwammel was one of the key players in the now illegal "Pyramid Play
" where the Beavers hoisted 6'7" Clyde Devine atop the shoulders of 6'2" Schwammel and 6'2" teammate Harry Shields in order to block a placekick. The play was first successfully used in a game against the University of Oregon
, and a picture of the play published in the Saturday Evening Post brought the team — and the play — national attention, leading to the pyramid technique being banned by the NCAA
's rules committee shortly thereafter.
Schwammel was a member of the Phi Delta Theta
fraternity during his time at Oregon State.
. During his time with the Packers, they won two professional titles.
in 1981 and the Oregon State University Hall of Fame in 1990, both for his football prowess. He died in Honolulu, Hawaii
in November 1979.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive tackle who played five seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
High school career
Schwammel attended Fremont High SchoolFremont Federation of High Schools
The Fremont Federation of High Schools is a group of three high schools, located on the same campus in Oakland, California, formerly known as Fremont Senior High School....
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and starred in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
.
College career
Schwammel chose to enroll at Oregon StateOregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
for his college education and to play football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
. He ettered in football from 1931 through 1933, earning first team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n and All-Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
at tackle as a senior was chosen as an All-American at tackle for the 1933 season, for a team that had a 6-2-2 record that included a win over powerhouse Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
and a scoreless tie with the USC Trojans
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
, ending USC's 26-game winning streak in a game played with exactly 11 players without any substitutions by Oregon State. He was also chosen to play in the 1934 East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
.
Schwammel was one of the key players in the now illegal "Pyramid Play
Pyramid Play
The Pyramid Play is a defensive play in American football, where a defensive player is hoisted up by two other players in an effort to block a place kick attempt by the opposing team...
" where the Beavers hoisted 6'7" Clyde Devine atop the shoulders of 6'2" Schwammel and 6'2" teammate Harry Shields in order to block a placekick. The play was first successfully used in a game against the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, and a picture of the play published in the Saturday Evening Post brought the team — and the play — national attention, leading to the pyramid technique being banned by the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's rules committee shortly thereafter.
Schwammel was a member of the Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
fraternity during his time at Oregon State.
Professional career
Schwammel played in the NFL for five seasons with the Green Bay Packers, in two separate stints, from 1934–1936 and from 1943–1944, with a gap of seven years for service in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During his time with the Packers, they won two professional titles.
Legacy
Schwammel was named to the Oregon Sports Hall of FameOregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1981 and the Oregon State University Hall of Fame in 1990, both for his football prowess. He died in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
in November 1979.