He played college football at Syracuse University, which he helped to a victory in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic.

Gerhard H. Schwedes was born on April 23, 1938, in Freiburg im Breisgau in Nazi Germany.

[1] His father was a German Army officer and spent part of World War II in a prison camp in Russia.

[2] About once a month during the war, he and his family took shelter in the home's cellar after hearing air raid warnings over the radio.

[3] In one instance, his friend's house across the street was destroyed by a bomb, killing the entire family.

[5] Schwedes threw for one touchdown and ran for another in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic, helping No.

For his performance during the 1959 season, Schwedes was named first-team All-Eastern by the AP and United Press International (UPI), and a third-team All-American by UPI and a second-team All-American by the Central Press Association.

[17] On August 31, 1960, Schwedes was traded to the New York Titans for Marshall Harris and a 1961 seventh round draft pick.