He played football at the University of Notre Dame from 1929 to 1931, and was a two-time All-American at halfback.

Schwartz was of Jewish heritage,[1] and was a graduate of Saint Stanislaus College high school in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

From 1929 to 1930, he led Notre Dame, coached by Knute Rockne, to a 19–0 record and consecutive national championships.

Schwartz served as an assistant football coach at Notre Dame from 1932 to 1933 under Heartley Anderson, and at the University of Chicago in 1934 under Clark Shaughnessy.

He helped coach the 1940 "Wow Boys" that recorded a perfect season and won the 1941 Rose Bowl.