Adolphe John "Tar" Schwammel (October 14, 1908 – November 18, 1979) was an American

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

tackle who played collegiately for the

Oregon State Beavers The Oregon State Beavers are the sport, athletic teams that represent Oregon State University, located in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Division I ...

. He was named an

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

in 1933. Schwammel entered the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) in 1934 and played for five seasons with the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

. He was named a first-team All-Pro in

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

and named to the second team the next year. He was inducted into the

Oregon 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. Operated by the Oregon Sports ...

in 1981 and the Oregon State University Hall of Fame in 1990, both for his football prowess.

Early life and college career

Adolphe Schwammel was born on October 14, 1908, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, and attended Fremont High School in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

. He attended

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

where he played for the school's football team. He lettered in football from 1931 through 1933. Schwammel was a starter on the 1933 Oregon State Beavers football team that played the undefeated two-time national champion

USC Trojans The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ...

to a 0–0 tie using just eleven "Iron Men" for the entire duration of the game. He was named a

1933 College Football All-America Team The 1933 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1933. The eight selectors recognized by ...

tackle. Schwammel was one of the key players in the now illegal "

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. The play was created and implemented by the 1933 Oregon State ...

", where the Beavers lifted 6-foot-seven-inch Clyde Devine atop the shoulders of 6-foot-two-inch Schwammel and 6-foot-two-inch teammate Harry Shields to block a placekick. The play was first successfully used in a game against the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

. A picture of the play published in the ''

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

'' brought the team and the play national attention, leading to the pyramid technique being banned by the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

's rules committee shortly thereafter. The 1933 OSC team finished with a 6–2–2 record that included a win on the road over

Fordham University Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...

, during this game, he was injured in his shoulder. Schwammel was named as the first-team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n and All-

Pacific Coast Conference The Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) was a collegiate athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pac-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, with eight of the ten PCC members (includin ...

tackle as a senior in the 1933 season. He was also chosen to play in the 1934

East-West Shrine Game East West (or East and West) may refer to: *East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture Arts and entertainment Books, journals and magazines *'' East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...

Professional career

Schwammel played in the NFL for five seasons with the

, in two separate stints. He first signed for the Packers in 1934, beginning play with them the same season. He was put on to the first

and the second 1936 NFL All-Pro team. He was a big part of the 1935 victory against the Lions: he scored two field goals, blocked a punt which led to the Packers getting the ball, and scored the game-winning touchdown. He won the 1936 NFL Championship with the Packers. He left after that season and ended up taking a seven-year break from football for military service. He came back to play two more seasons with the team from 1943 to 1944, winning another NFL Championship in 1944. During his time with the team, he also served as a

placekicker In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...

, scoring six field goals and eight extra points, totaling 26 points. He retired in 1944. During his professional career, he weighed 225 pounds and his height was 6 feet and two inches.

Personal and later life

Schwammel and the other "Iron Men" performed a recreation of the "Pyramid Play" at halftime for a 1958 Oregon State college football game. He was named to the

in 1981 and the Oregon State University Hall of Fame in 1990, both for his football achievements. Schwammel was married; he died in

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

, on November 18, 1979.

References

External links

Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwammel, Ade 1908 births 1979 deaths Players of American football from Oakland, California American football tackles Oregon State Beavers football players Green Bay Packers players Players of American football from Los Angeles American military personnel of World War II Fremont High School (Oakland, California) alumni