Sammy  Sward was one of the top halfbacks of the late 1930s and 1940s in Canadian Football.  Sward played 11 seasons from 1936 to 1947, all but two of them with the fun loving Toronto Balmy Beach team or the ORFU. Sward missed the 1937 season due to a broken arm suffered just before the season started. Sward spent two years (1939 and 1940) with the Ottawa Rough Riders.  Ironically, Sward's one Grey Cup came with Ottawa in 1940 when they beat Balmy Beach in a two game total points final.  The winner of that East title becing declared the Grey Cup champion as the West was barred from playing for the Grey Cup due to a dispute over rules.  Besides being a top runner, Sward was also known for his punting, a skill much valued in the era he played in due to the lower scoring games where field position on the exchange of punts was critical to success. Accounts of the 1940 East Final credit the kicking of Sward with giving Ottawa the victory. In 1941, Sward won an East All-Star at Flying Wing with Balmy Beach. With the second world war underway, Hamilton had been forced to suspend play due to lack of players and the Beaches had taken their place in the East that season. In 1945, Sward won both an ORFU and an All-East First Team (selected from the IRFU, ORFU and college teams) All-Star at Flying Wing.  Sward retired after the 1946 season, but when injuries stuck the Beaches in 1947, Sward came back for one final go.  Sward was in the terminology of those days a true "triple threat" on offence with his ability pass, run and kick. On defence he was also one of the top players of his t ime.

Sward Out For Season With Broken Arm - October 7, 1937

Sward Named Beaches Captain - October 6, 1938

Sward To Stick With Ottawa - July 29, 1940

Sward Stars in Ottawa's 12-5 Victory In East Final - December 9, 1940

Sward Gives Brilliant Kicking Exhibion - December 9, 1940

Sward Wins All-Star at Flying Wing - November 18, 1941

Sward Shines in Balmy Beach Win - October 13, 1942

Beaches Are Led By Sammy Sward - November 16, 1942

Sward Was a True Triple Threrat - October 14, 1944

Sammy Sward Started Something - November 23, 1945

Sammy Sward Answered Beaches' Desperate Call - November 7, 1947