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{{Infobox gridiron football person |
{{Infobox gridiron football person |
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| − | + | | name = Bill Swiacki |
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| − | + | | image = BillSwiacki1951Bowman.jpg |
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| + | | alt = |
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| − | |birth_date= October 2, 1922 |
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| + | | caption = |
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| − | + | | birth_date = {{Birth date|1922|10|2}} |
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| + | | death_date = {{Death date and age|1976|7|7|1922|10|2}} |
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| − | |DraftedYear= 1946 |
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| + | | team = |
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| − | |DraftedRound= 16 |
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| + | | number = |
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| − | |PFR=SwiaBi20 |
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| + | | status = |
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| − | |DatabaseFootball= SWIACBIL01 |
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| + | | height_ft = 6 |
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| − | |player=Type Anything to activate (even this!) |
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| + | | height_in = 2 |
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| − | |years= 1948-1950<br>1951-1952 |
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| + | | weight_lb = 195 |
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| − | |teams= [[New York Giants]]<br>[[Detroit Lions]] |
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| − | |coach=Type Anything to activate (even this!) |
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| + | | NFLDraftedYear = 1946 |
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| − | |coaching_teams=[[New York Giants]] (end coach)<br>[[Toronto Argonauts]]<br>[[History of the St. Louis Rams|Los Angeles Rams]] (end coach) |
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| + | | NFLDraftedRound = 16 |
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| − | |coaching_years=1954<br>1955-1956<br>1958 |
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| + | | NFLDraftedPick = |
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| − | |ProBowls= |
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| + | | NFLDraftedTeam = |
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| − | |HOF= |
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| + | | coaching_years1 = 1954 |
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| − | |HOFYear= |
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| + | | coaching_team1 = [[New York Giants]] (ends) |
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| + | | coaching_years2 = 1955–1956 |
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| − | |}} |
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| + | | coaching_team2 = [[Toronto Argonauts]] |
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| + | | coaching_years3 = 1958 |
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| + | | coaching_team3 = [[History of the St. Louis Rams|Los Angeles Rams]] (ends) |
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| + | | playing_years1 = 1948–1950 |
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| + | | playing_team1 = [[New York Giants]] |
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| + | | playing_years2 = 1951–1952 |
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| + | | playing_team2 = [[Detroit Lions]] |
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| + | | career_highlights = |
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| + | | DatabaseFootball = SWIACBIL01 |
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| − | '''William Adam Swiacki''' (October 2, 1922 |
+ | '''William Adam Swiacki''' (October 2, 1922 – July 7, 1976) was an [[American football]] player and coach. He played [[college football]] as an end for [[Columbia University]] in 1946 and 1947 and was a consensus first-team All-American in 1947. He played professional football in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for the [[New York Giants]] from 1948 to 1950 and for the [[Detroit Lions]] in 1951 and 1952. He was a member of the Lions' [[1952 Detroit Lions season|1952 team]] that won the NFL championship. |
| + | ==Early years== |
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| − | His son, Bill Swiacki, Jr., was a standout three-sport athlete at [[Amherst College]] who was drafted by both the NFL [[New York Giants]] and MLB [[Los Angeles Dodgers]].<ref>http://www.gocolumbialions.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=9600&ATCLID=530128</ref> |
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| + | Swiacki was born in [[Southbridge, Massachusetts]], in 1922.<ref name=PFR/> He was of Polish descent<ref>{{cite news|title=William Swiacki (Born)|newspaper=Polish American News|date=October 2012|page=3|url=http://www.polishamericancenter.org/PANews/October12.pdf}}</ref> |
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| + | |||
| + | ==College football and military service== |
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| + | Swiacki began his college education at the [[College of the Holy Cross]] in [[Worcester, Massachusetts]].<ref name=Col/> He played at the end position for the [[Holy Cross Crusaders football]] team in 1942.<ref>{{cite news|title=Holy Cross, Colgate Tie|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|date=November 1, 1942|page=24|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4629336/holy_cross_colgate_tie/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> He then served as a second lieutenant and navigator on a [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17 Flying Fortress]] in the [[United States Army Air Forces]] during [[World War II]].<ref name=Col/> After the war, he attended [[Columbia University]] and played college football at the [[End (American football)|end]] position for the [[Columbia Lions football|Columbia Lions]] in 1946 and 1947. On October 26, 1947, Swiacki gained national fame when his nine pass receptions led Columbia to a 21-20 victory over [[1947 Army Cadets football team|Army]], breaking the Cadets' 32-game winning streak.<ref>{{cite news|title=Columbia Star Named Week's Best Lineman|newspaper=Pottstown (PA) Mercury|date=October 30, 1947|page=22|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4626351/columbia_star_named_weeks_best_lineman/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=How Swiacki ended Army's unbeaten streak|author=Red Smith|newspaper=The Times Herald Record|date=July 11, 1976|page=119|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4626455/how_swiacki_ended_armys_unbeaten_streak/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Swiacki profile|publisher=National Football Foundation|work=College Football Hall of Fame|accessdate=March 14, 2016|url={{College Football HoF/url|id=1619}}}}</ref> At the end of the 1947 season, Swiacki was a consensus All-American,<ref name=CAA>{{cite web|title=2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)|year=2014|accessdate=February 10, 2015|page=6|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/Awards.pdf}}</ref> receiving first-team honors from, among others, the [[American Football Coaches Association]],<ref>{{cite news|author=Al Warren|title=Patrolling the Sport Highway with Al Warren|work=The Ogden Standard-Examiner|location=Ogden, Utah|date=December 17, 1947}}</ref> the [[Associated Press]],<ref name=AP>{{cite news|title=Midwest Places Three Backs On AP All-American Squad: Lujack, Evans and Chappuis On First Team|work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune|date=December 3, 1947}}</ref> the [[United Press]],<ref name=UP>{{cite news|title=Offensive Brilliance Pays Off On UP All-American: Midwestern Zone Leads With Four Players on Team|work=Journal|location=Western Nevada|date=November 27, 1947}}</ref> ''[[Collier's Weekly]]'',<ref>{{cite news|title=Collier's Grid Team Announced|work=The Times Recorder|location=Zanesville, OH|date=December 5, 1947}}</ref> the [[International News Service]],<ref name=INS>{{cite news|author=Lawton Carver|title=Johnny Lujack Unanimous INS All-American Grid Selection|work=The Daily Courier|location=Connellsville, PA|date=December 4, 1947}}</ref> and the [[Newspaper Enterprise Association]].<ref>{{cite news|author=[[Harry Grayson]]|title=Lujack Is Only Unanimous Choice For NEA's 1947 All-America|work=Middlesboro, Ky., Daily News|date=November 1947}}</ref> |
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| + | |||
| + | ==Professional football== |
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| + | He later played professional football in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) as an [[End (gridiron football)|end]] for the [[New York Giants]] from 1948 to 1950 and for the [[Detroit Lions]] from 1951 to 1952.<ref name=PFR>{{cite web|title=Bill Swiacki|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|accessdate=March 13, 2016|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SwiaBi20.htm}}</ref> He was a member of the [[1952 Detroit Lions season|1952 Detroit Lions team]] that won the NFL championship. In September 1953, Swiacki announced that he was retiring from football to devote his time to business in his hometown of Southbridge, Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lions' Swiacki Retires To Enter Business|newspaper=The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois)|date=September 3, 1953|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4625617/lions_swiacki_retires_to_enter_business/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> In five years in the NFL, Swiacki appeared in 59 games and caught 139 passes for 1,883 yards for 18 touchdowns.<ref name=PFR/> |
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| + | |||
| + | ==Coaching career== |
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| + | In May 1954, Swiacki was hired as the end coach for the [[New York Giants]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Swiacki Signs as Coach With N.Y. Grid Giants|newspaper=Lebanon (PA) Daily News|date=May 1, 1954|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4625575/swiacki_signs_as_coach_with_ny_grid/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> In May 1955, he was hired as the head coach for the [[Toronto Argonauts]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Swiacki to Coach Toronto Argonauts|newspaper=Abilene (TX) Reporter-News|date=May 12, 1955|page=7B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4625480/swiacki_to_coach_toronto_argonauts/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> After two seasons with the Argonauts, Swiacki quit the job in November 1956.<ref>{{cite news|title=Swiacki Quits|newspaper=The Lincoln (NE) Star|date=November 6, 1956|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4625521/swiacki_quits/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> |
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| + | |||
| + | ==Family and later years== |
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| + | After retiring from football, Swiacki returned to Massachusetts and went into the real estate business.<ref name=DFPObit/><ref name=Col/> He and his wife, Charlotte Lester Swiacki (1926-1999), had a son, Bill, Jr., and a daughter, Leslie.<ref name=DFPObit/> Bill, Jr., was a standout three-sport athlete at [[Amherst College]] who was drafted by both the NFL's New York Giants and [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[Los Angeles Dodgers]].<ref name=Col>{{cite web|title=Bill Swiacki|publisher=Columbia University Athletics|accessdate=March 14, 2016|url=http://www.gocolumbialions.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=9600&ATCLID=530128}}</ref> |
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| + | |||
| + | Swiacki was named to the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in April 1976.<ref>{{cite news|title=Parker, Swiacki in Hall of Fame|newspaper=The Ottawa Journal|date=April 22, 1976|page=35|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4626486/parker_swiacki_in_hall_of_fame/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> Less than three months later, 9n July 1976, Swiacki died at his home in [[Sturbridge, Massachusetts]], at age 53.<ref name=DFPObit>{{cite news|title=Ex-Lion Swiacki Dies at 53|author=Jim Benagh|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=July 8, 1976|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4625676/exlion_swiacki_dies_at_53/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> He was killed when his accidentally discharged while Swiacki was cleaning it in the basement of his home.<ref name=Col/> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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| − | {{reflist}} |
+ | {{reflist|30em}} |
==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Portal|Biography}} |
{{Portal|Biography}} |
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| − | *{{Find a Grave|39851339}} |
+ | * {{Find a Grave|39851339}} |
| + | {{Toronto Argonauts coach navbox}} |
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{{1952 Detroit Lions}} |
{{1952 Detroit Lions}} |
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| − | {{TorontoArgosCoach}} |
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| − | {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| − | | NAME = Swiacki, Bill |
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| − | | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
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| − | | SHORT DESCRIPTION = American football player |
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| − | | DATE OF BIRTH = October 2, 1922 |
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| − | | DATE OF DEATH = July 7, 1976 |
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| − | | PLACE OF DEATH = |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Swiacki, Bill}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swiacki, Bill}} |
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[[Category:1922 births]] |
[[Category:1922 births]] |
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[[Category:1976 deaths]] |
[[Category:1976 deaths]] |
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| − | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:American football ends]] |
| − | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Holy Cross Crusaders football players]] |
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[[Category:Columbia Lions football players]] |
[[Category:Columbia Lions football players]] |
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[[Category:Detroit Lions players]] |
[[Category:Detroit Lions players]] |
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| + | [[Category:Los Angeles Rams coaches]] |
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[[Category:New York Giants players]] |
[[Category:New York Giants players]] |
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| − | [[Category: |
+ | [[Category:Toronto Argonauts coaches]] |
| + | [[Category:All-American college football players]] |
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| + | [[Category:People from Southbridge, Massachusetts]] |
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| − | {{widereceiver-1920s-stub}} |
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| + | [[Category:Players of American football from Massachusetts]] |
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Revision as of 14:59, 16 November 2018
| File:BillSwiacki1951Bowman.jpg | |
| Date of birth: | October 2, 1922 |
| Place of birth: | Southbridge, Massachusetts |
| Date of death: | July 7, 1976 (aged 53) |
| Place of death: | Sturbridge, Massachusetts |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): | End |
| NFL Draft: | 1946 / Round: 16 |
| Organizations | |
| Playing stats at NFL.com | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
William Adam Swiacki (October 2, 1922 – July 7, 1976) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as an end for Columbia University in 1946 and 1947 and was a consensus first-team All-American in 1947. He played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants from 1948 to 1950 and for the Detroit Lions in 1951 and 1952. He was a member of the Lions' 1952 team that won the NFL championship.
Early years
Swiacki was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts, in 1922.[1] He was of Polish descent[2]
College football and military service
Swiacki began his college education at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.[3] He played at the end position for the Holy Cross Crusaders football team in 1942.[4] He then served as a second lieutenant and navigator on a B-17 Flying Fortress in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.[3] After the war, he attended Columbia University and played college football at the end position for the Columbia Lions in 1946 and 1947. On October 26, 1947, Swiacki gained national fame when his nine pass receptions led Columbia to a 21-20 victory over Army, breaking the Cadets' 32-game winning streak.[5][6][7] At the end of the 1947 season, Swiacki was a consensus All-American,[8] receiving first-team honors from, among others, the American Football Coaches Association,[9] the Associated Press,[10] the United Press,[11] Collier's Weekly,[12] the International News Service,[13] and the Newspaper Enterprise Association.[14]
Professional football
He later played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) as an end for the New York Giants from 1948 to 1950 and for the Detroit Lions from 1951 to 1952.[1] He was a member of the 1952 Detroit Lions team that won the NFL championship. In September 1953, Swiacki announced that he was retiring from football to devote his time to business in his hometown of Southbridge, Massachusetts.[15] In five years in the NFL, Swiacki appeared in 59 games and caught 139 passes for 1,883 yards for 18 touchdowns.[1]
Coaching career
In May 1954, Swiacki was hired as the end coach for the New York Giants.[16] In May 1955, he was hired as the head coach for the Toronto Argonauts.[17] After two seasons with the Argonauts, Swiacki quit the job in November 1956.[18]
Family and later years
After retiring from football, Swiacki returned to Massachusetts and went into the real estate business.[19][3] He and his wife, Charlotte Lester Swiacki (1926-1999), had a son, Bill, Jr., and a daughter, Leslie.[19] Bill, Jr., was a standout three-sport athlete at Amherst College who was drafted by both the NFL's New York Giants and Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers.[3]
Swiacki was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in April 1976.[20] Less than three months later, 9n July 1976, Swiacki died at his home in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, at age 53.[19] He was killed when his accidentally discharged while Swiacki was cleaning it in the basement of his home.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Bill Swiacki". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SwiaBi20.htm. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ↑ "William Swiacki (Born)". Polish American News: p. 3. October 2012. http://www.polishamericancenter.org/PANews/October12.pdf.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Bill Swiacki". Columbia University Athletics. http://www.gocolumbialions.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=9600&ATCLID=530128. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Holy Cross, Colgate Tie". The Pittsburgh Press: p. 24. November 1, 1942. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4629336/holy_cross_colgate_tie/.
- ↑ "Columbia Star Named Week's Best Lineman". Pottstown (PA) Mercury: p. 22. October 30, 1947. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4626351/columbia_star_named_weeks_best_lineman/.
- ↑ Red Smith (July 11, 1976). "How Swiacki ended Army's unbeaten streak". The Times Herald Record: p. 119. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4626455/how_swiacki_ended_armys_unbeaten_streak/.
- ↑ "Bill Swiacki profile". College Football Hall of Fame. National Football Foundation. https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1619. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ↑ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections". National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 6. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/Awards.pdf. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- ↑ Al Warren (December 17, 1947). "Patrolling the Sport Highway with Al Warren". The Ogden Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah).
- ↑ "Midwest Places Three Backs On AP All-American Squad: Lujack, Evans and Chappuis On First Team". Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. December 3, 1947.
- ↑ "Offensive Brilliance Pays Off On UP All-American: Midwestern Zone Leads With Four Players on Team". Journal (Western Nevada). November 27, 1947.
- ↑ "Collier's Grid Team Announced". The Times Recorder (Zanesville, OH). December 5, 1947.
- ↑ Lawton Carver (December 4, 1947). "Johnny Lujack Unanimous INS All-American Grid Selection". The Daily Courier (Connellsville, PA).
- ↑ Harry Grayson (November 1947). "Lujack Is Only Unanimous Choice For NEA's 1947 All-America". Middlesboro, Ky., Daily News.
- ↑ "Lions' Swiacki Retires To Enter Business". The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois): p. 7. September 3, 1953. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4625617/lions_swiacki_retires_to_enter_business/.
- ↑ "Swiacki Signs as Coach With N.Y. Grid Giants". Lebanon (PA) Daily News: p. 16. May 1, 1954. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4625575/swiacki_signs_as_coach_with_ny_grid/.
- ↑ "Swiacki to Coach Toronto Argonauts". Abilene (TX) Reporter-News: p. 7B. May 12, 1955. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4625480/swiacki_to_coach_toronto_argonauts/.
- ↑ "Swiacki Quits". The Lincoln (NE) Star: p. 14. November 6, 1956. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4625521/swiacki_quits/.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Jim Benagh (July 8, 1976). "Ex-Lion Swiacki Dies at 53". Detroit Free Press: p. 13. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4625676/exlion_swiacki_dies_at_53/.
- ↑ "Parker, Swiacki in Hall of Fame". The Ottawa Journal: p. 35. April 22, 1976. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4626486/parker_swiacki_in_hall_of_fame/.
External links
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