Jim Brown Named The inaugural Tewaaraton Legend

Coach Roy Simmons Jr. once told me the story of how Manhasset native Jim Brown came to Syracuse. Judge Kenny Molloy, a Syracuse alum, served as one of Brown’s mentors in Manhasset and he’s the one that influenced Jim to go Syracuse. Molloy also raised the tuition to pay for Brown’s first year and solicited a promise of a future scholarship from the SU Athletic department if he proved to be the superstar that his Manhasset patrons claimed he would be. You see Syracuse Football Coach Ben Schwartzwalder did not want African Americans on his team and he never made it easy for them to play under him. What few know is that Schwartzwalder reluctantly gave Brown a football scholarship after he was a walk on (non-scholarship athlete) is freshmen year and still refused to play him until injuries forced him to do so. “The Superintendent of Manhasset High School flew up to Syracuse and told me not to quit the football team when I was down about not playing. I went from 5th string to All-American in two years,” recalls Brown. Lacrosse proved different for Brown at Syracuse. Roy Simmons Sr. who also coached football gave Brown a fair shot and Jim dominated the game for three years (freshmen) did not play varsity in those days. In lacrosse at Syracuse, Brown earned Second Team All-American selection in 1956 and First Team in 1957. He also finished second in the nation in scoring his senior year as a member of an undefeated Syracuse Lacrosse squad that included my coach Roy Simmons Jr. In that year’s senior all-star game Brown scored five goals in one-half.

Jim Brown Tewaaraton Legends Award Story: http://insidelacrosse.com/news/2011/05/31/jim-brown-receive-inaugural-tewaaraton-legends-award-june-2-washington-dc


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