A new citizen of San Diego, I have sampled the same streets he did while he grew up as a kid in San Diego. Then, it was the finest city in the United States, without dirty air and the parking lots that make up its freeways today.
My seven year odyssey about Schindler will never be over. A sample of the book, "Schindler, A Trojan Legend" is uncovered. The Rose Bowl game of 1940 is now exhibited for the first time. Here he describes the Trojan last game of the 39 season against the Bruins. It is the game that would take U.S.C. to the Rose Bowl.
"Our coach spoke to us before the 1939 game against the Bruins. All we needed was a tie for a trip to our second straight Rose Bowl. A loss meant we would travel to Hawaii to the 'mean-nothing bowl.'
"Coach Jones spoke to us before the big game in the Coliseum dressing room. He ordered our end, Bob Winslow to 'shadow and knock Jackie down on every play.' I heard from a Trojan alumnus that Robinson had been bailed out of jail on the evening before the game." (Even though Robinson had several run-ins with the law, I could not corroborate the jail story.)
In several interviews with Schindler during 2006-2008, he spoke about the game against the Bruins. Schindler probably had a photographic memory while at U.S.C. and had received an award as having the best knowledge of the game. He still remembered past events.
"Howard Jones devised a scheme to immobilize Jackie Robinson. He used terms like 'split', 'gap', and 'turns.' Jones feared Robinson, unlike me. He wished to immobilize the four sport letter man. Kenny Washington I feared more than Jackie."
"Legs" Jones told 'We will match our skills against Robinson. You will see the hole but Jackie won't.' We ran through tunnel 48 and had our pregame drill. We then went to the bench."
Only a day earlier, I had left the Good Samaritan Hospital along with two other mates from San Diego. All of us had caught the flu." (A picture of the coach, Granny Landsdell and Schindler was displayed in the Los Angeles Times. Braven Dyer had the Trojan beat for the Times.)
"During the game, Winslow did knock Robinson down on every play, whether he had the ball or not. On one play Winslow knocked Robinson down so hard, he jumped up and muttered,'What in hell's name are you doing. Don't you know I don't have the ball!'
"The Bruins were on our three yard line, first down and goal to go. At the end of the game, we stood on the sidelines. We held each others crotches. We hollered, jumped and screamed, 'Hold that line!'"
"On another play, Jeff Sohn and Hoffman knocked Jackie back on two plays. On fourth down, the Bruins elected to go for it. Kenny went back to pass and threw it into the direction of a wide open Jackie Robinson in the end zone."
"My heart sunk. At the last second, out of nowhere, Don Robinson shot over and flicked the ball out of Jackie's hands. We took over on our three yard line."
"Doyle Nave entered the game and instead of running out the clock, chose to pass. Jones yanked him for me, old reliable. I ran out the clock."
"So we tied them and had a shot at our second straight Rose Bowl. A couple of years after the game, Ned Mathews, the Bruin quarterback told me the players 'voted five to five in the huddle to go for it. My vote decided to push it in.'"
Some scrap metal to go with the game. Two of the games quarterbacks had been graduates of Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles: Doyle Nave and Ned Mathews. Nave went on to become a successful editor for MGM. He received an Oscar for editing the Mary Poppins picture.
With the game now over, Schindler had the chance to return to San Diego's Golden Hills and Mom's chicken soup. No doubt his Mom Nellie made up the right mix. Next up, the Rose Bowl and the Volunteers of Tennessee. (Rose Bowl Game Player of the Game, Schindler.)
To my knowledge, he is still alive at 96 and living in Torrance. All of his lineman and backfield have gone onto the playing field in the sky
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