Syracuse 8 facts for kids

The Syracuse Eight were nine college football players who stood up against unfair treatment of African American players at Syracuse University. They also wanted other changes to make the football program better for everyone. These players eventually decided not to practice and then boycotted the entire 1969 season.

In 1969, nine African American student-athletes stopped playing for Syracuse University's football team. They wanted to demand changes and promote fairness for all. The media mistakenly called them the "Syracuse 8" in 1970. The nine students were Gregory Allen, Richard Bulls, Dana Harrell, John Godbolt, John Lobon, Clarence “Bucky” McGill, A. Alif Muhammad (then known as Al Newton), Duane Walker, and Ron Womack. They wrote down four main requests. Three of these requests aimed to improve things for all student-athletes at the university. These included getting the same academic help as their white teammates and better medical care for everyone. They also wanted players to be chosen for games based on skill, not race. Finally, they asked for Black coaches to be part of the coaching staff, which had been all white since 1898.

Why the Players Stood Up

The boycott started after Floyd Little, a famous former Syracuse player, made some comments. He was with the Denver Broncos at the time. In an interview, he said some players weren't trying hard enough. He also said Black players seemed upset and that coaches never treated anyone badly. This upset many Black athletes. Ten Black varsity players walked out of practice. Floyd Little never changed his words. This event led to a longer boycott that lasted for a year. The group felt they were being treated unfairly and discriminated against. They decided to boycott spring practice. This later turned into boycotting the 1970 football season. This happened because their list of demands was not met. Dr. Johnson, who was in charge of the Afro-American Center at Syracuse, criticized head coach Ben Schwartzwalder for being too strict.

What the Players Asked For

The players wrote their demands to make things better for all student-athletes. They didn't just want changes for Black players.

Equal Academic Help

Their first demand was for equal access to tutors and academic advisors. Black athletes were often told to take basic classes like reading, writing, and physical education. Meanwhile, their white teammates could take any class for their chosen major. Many Black athletes couldn't take the classes they needed to graduate with a degree. They knew they could do better academically than the university expected.

Better Medical Care

The second demand was for better medical treatment. The team doctor, Dr. William E. Pelow, often suggested only ice and rest for every injury. This was true no matter how serious the injury was.

Fair Playing Time

Demand three was all about fairness. Black players wanted a clear and honest system for deciding who traveled to away games. They also wanted a fair way to decide who got to play. There were "unwritten rules" about how many Black athletes could play in each game. Coaches at the time didn't want a team to "go Black." Black players noticed differences in whether they would play or not. One player said, "One week you'd be the second-string fullback. Then it'd be time to travel to an away game, and suddenly, you'd be the third string defensive end. You'd be left off the team bus." They also wanted coaches to stop calling them "boy" and their hair "fuzz."

Black Coaches

The fourth demand was to have Black coaches on the staff. Since 1893, Syracuse University had not had a coach of color in any sport. Head coach Ben Schwartzwalder and his assistants used unfair behavior and racist language. This made Black players feel like they didn't belong. During practices, there was a limit on how many Black players could be on the field at once. The players believed this stopped them from showing their talents. They also thought it made the team less likely to win games. The players felt that hiring a Black coach could fix many of these problems.

Jim Brown, a famous Syracuse alum and Hall of Famer, tried to help. He tried to get the nine players and the head coach to agree. In a 2006 interview, Brown said coach Schwartzwalder "had no clue" what the players were doing. He told them they were "football players" and "weren't Black." He "didn't budge." A Black assistant coach, Carlmon Jones, was hired. But then coach Schwartzwalder told seven Black players they were off the team. Other players quit in protest. They said if their teammates couldn't play, then they wouldn't either.

In response to the Syracuse 8 boycott, 68 white players started their own counter-boycott. They did not want the Black players to be put back on the team. They also signed a paper fully supporting coach Schwartzwalder. Because their demands were not taken seriously, the nine players continued their boycott into the 1970 season.

What Happened Next

After a 10-week study, a committee shared its findings in December. The report said that "racism in the Syracuse University Athletic Department is real and chronic." It said this racism was "largely unintentional" but continued because of common behaviors in American sports. The report also criticized the "long-standing authoritarian role of Head Coach Schwartzwalder."

After the report came out, the players hoped for change. Their claims were confirmed, so they thought things would get better. But this small victory didn't last long. The head coach still wasn't interested in the report or its findings. One good thing did come from this. The nine players, who were no longer on the team, were allowed to keep their scholarships. They could finish their studies at Syracuse University.

Only one of the nine players who boycotted in 1970 ever played for Syracuse again.

In 2006, Chancellor Nancy Cantor invited the "Syracuse 8" back. They received the "Chancellor's Medal," the university's highest honor. They also got their Letterman jackets. The university officially apologized to the nine players. It praised them for their bravery and for speaking up against unfairness.

Dana Harrell and Gregory Allen remembered that day. Dana said, "They had us in the tunnel. They wanted us, when they called our names, to run out of the tunnel, like we did in our playing days." He added, "And we looked at them like they were crazy. We don't have two good knees between us. But the satisfaction was immeasurable." Gregory said, "There were nothing but smiles and old men welling up in tears." He added, "It was a cleansing, a lifting of this baggage that I had been carrying around for years. Someone finally acknowledged that we didn't do this to hurt the university. We were trying to make the university and this world just a better place."

National Impact

America was going through a very divided time. The American Civil Rights Movement lasted from about 1954 to 1969. Important figures like Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X were still fresh in people's minds. Their stories were often in the news. Even though the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law, many old ways of behaving were hard to change. These "norms" came from the "Jim Crow era." Many states and cities found it hard to adopt new, fair policies. The Civil Rights Act was a big win. But in many ways, it was just a symbol. A lot of work still needed to be done. Local and state Jim Crow laws had to be changed for African Americans to see real change. Even after this important law, some lawmakers and politicians resisted. This was especially true in the southern states. They were unwilling to accept a changing America.