He served in the Marines before being discharged a few years later, where the Philadelphia Eagles picked him up for their roster before he was traded to the New York Giants.
Schnelker was a two-time Pro Bowler and a member of the 1956 NFL Champion Giants.
[3] After retiring from football, Schnelker was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings.
It was with the Vikings that led to a memorable moment from head coach Jerry Burns, who leapt to Schnelker's defense as a coordinator in a profanity-laced tirade after a 23–21 win (a game that saw Rich Karlis make seven field goals before a game-clinching safety happened in overtime) in the 1989 season had plenty of criticism heaped onto Schnelker from Minnesota fans.
This biographical article relating to an American football tight end born in the 1920s is a stub.