Gerald Snyder
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{for|the Canadian politician|Gerry Snyder}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Gerald Snyder
| image =Gerald Snyder, 1928.png
| alt =A black and white photograph of an American football player from the 1920s
| caption =Snyder in 1928
| position = Running back
| birth_date = {{birth date|1905|08|06}}
| birth_place = Windber, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1983|06|28|1905|08|06}}
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 8
| weight_lbs = 190
| college = Maryland
| pastteams =
- New York Giants (1929)
- Staten Island Stapletons (1930)
| highlights =
- Third-team All-American (1928)
- First-team All-Southern (1928)
- Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame
}}
Gerald Theodore "Snitz" Snyder (August 6, 1905 – June 28, 1983) was an American football player and Army officer. He played college football as a back for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland. Snyder played professionally for two seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Biography
Snyder was born on August 6, 1905, in Windber, Pennsylvania, and attended high school at the Bellefonte Academy in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100220114530/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=SNYDEGER01 Gerry Snyder Past Stats]}}, Database Football.com, retrieved 23 December 2008. He attended college at the University of Maryland, where he played football and lacrosse.[http://umterps.cstv.com/trads/md-wall-of-fame.html Maryland Athletics Walk of Fame and History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216122522/http://umterps.cstv.com/trads/md-wall-of-fame.html |date=2008-12-16 }}, "Traditions", University of Maryland Terrapins Athletics official website, retrieved 23 December 2008. In Tales from the Maryland Terrapins, author David Ungrady credits Snyder with popularizing the fake reverse.David Ungrady, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kty1Jvi1j0IC Tales from the Maryland Terrapins], p. 38, Sports Publishing LLC, 2003, {{ISBN|1-58261-688-4}}. In 1927, Snyder scored Maryland's only touchdown against Yale on a 90-yard punt return, which was the "longest run ever made in the Yale Bowl" at the time.[https://archive.org/stream/reveille1928mary#page/218/ Reveille], p. 218, University of Maryland, 1928. In his senior year in 1928, Snyder was expected to be elected team captain, but had been suspended for off-field behavior by head coach Curley Byrd. Byrd believed the captaincy had become a popularity contest and elected instead to name game captains, a practice which continued for the next 15 years. That season, Snyder was named a second-team All-American in football by the Associated Press, and became just the second Maryland player to be honored as such."ACC All-Americans", 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Media Guide, 2007, retrieved 23 December 2008.[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/md/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/191-196.pdf All-Time Honors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523103025/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/md/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/191-196.pdf |date=2011-05-23 }}, 2001 Maryland Terrapins Football Media Guide, University of Maryland and CBS Sports, retrieved 22 December 2008.
In 1929, Snyder went on to play professional football in the NFL. He first played for the New York Giants, where he saw action in 12 games, including two starts, and he rushed for two touchdowns and caught one touchdown reception. In 1930, he played 11 games for the Staten Island Stapletons, including seven starts.[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SnydSn20.htm Snitz Snyder Statistics], Pro Football Reference, retrieved 23 December 2008.[http://www.giants.com/photos/03_alltime_richards_stevenson.pdf Richards-Stevenson] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070415190142/http://www.giants.com/photos/03_alltime_richards_stevenson.pdf |date=2007-04-15 }}, "All-Time Roster", New York Giants official website, retrieved 23 December 2008.
In 1931, Snyder received an M.A. from the University of Maryland.[https://books.google.com/books?id=VqfOAAAAMAAJ The University of Maryland, Catalogue Number 1932–1933], p. 254, University of Maryland, 1933. In 1933, he served as an assistant coach with the professional football franchise, the Frankford Legion.[http://home.comcast.net/~ghostsofthegridiron/Legion_preparations_1933.htm Frankford Pro Grid Eleven Starts Practice This Sunday] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022084843/http://home.comcast.net/~ghostsofthegridiron/Legion_preparations_1933.htm |date=2011-10-22 }}, The Frankford Gazette, September 8, 1933. Snyder served in the United States Army in the Second World War and Korean War, and attained the rank of major.[http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1 Gerald Theodore Snyder] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517121033/http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1 |date=2019-05-17 }}, Nationwide Gravesite Locator, retrieved June 27, 2010. He died on June 28, 1983, and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. In 1984, Snyder was posthumously inducted into the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame.[http://www.themclub.org/about/history/appendix_h.html Appendix H: University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame 1982-1998] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821105949/http://www.themclub.org/about/history/appendix_h.html |date=2008-08-21 }}, The M Club, retrieved 23 December 2008.
References
{{reflist|2}}
{{1928_College_Football_Composite_All-Southerns}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Snyder, Gerald}}
Category:Players of American football from Pennsylvania
Category:Sportspeople from Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Category:Maryland Terrapins football players
Category:Maryland Terrapins men's lacrosse players
Category:New York Giants players
Category:Staten Island Stapletons players
Category:United States Army officers
Category:United States Army personnel of World War II
Category:United States Army personnel of the Korean War
Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Category:All-Southern college football players