Kevin Swayne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kevin Swayne (b. January 17, 1975 in Riverside, California) is an American football player. In the past, he has played for Wayne State College, the Iowa Barnstormers, the New York Jets and the Orlando Rage. Swayne currently plays for the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League.
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[edit] Early life
Although born in Riverside, Swayne lived most of his early life in Banning, California. He graduated from Banning High School after earning letters in four sports: basketball, track, cross country, and football.
[edit] Collegiate stats
[edit] Junior college
Kevin attended Palomar Junior College in California, near his hometowns of Riverside and Banning. He played football for Palomar, and led them to the 1993 National Junior Collegiate Championship. He would play for his freshman and sophomore years there, 1993-4, respectively.
[edit] Wayne State
In 1994, after his sophomore season at Palomar, Swayne's outstanding performance was noticed by Wayne State College, located in Nebraska. He signed with them, and became a star for his two years there. Most notably, in a 1996 game (his senior year) against Drake University, he caught a school-record 21 passes for 236 yards. His reception record ranks third all-time in Division II. He had a total of 144 career receptions for 2091 yards. He holds a single-season WSC record with 1273 receiving yards in his 1996 senior campaign and was named an Honorable Mention NCAA Division II All-American. He was inducted into Wayne State's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.
[edit] Professional career
[edit] 1997
Swayne was not drafted in the 1997 NFL draft despite his record-setting performances the year before. He was, however, signed to the scout team by the Chicago Bears. He was never activated and was soon released.
[edit] 1998
Swayne joined the Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers in '98, and was an immediate sensation. He was named the team MVP, was named to the AFL's All-Rookie team, and was given the AFL's "Don't Blink" award for being the League's most exciting player. Swayne led the Barnstormers in points (96) as well as total yards (1381).
[edit] 1999
In his sophomore campaign with the Barnstormers, Swayne again led the team in points, but his total was more than double his previous sum, with 206 points in that season alone. He once again led the team in yards (2074) as well as yards per game (148.1). He returned kicks for Iowa in '99, and led the team with 484 kick return yards and 2 TDs.
[edit] 2000
Swayne accepted an offer to come play for the NFL's San Diego Chargers. He never saw the field, though, as he remained on the practice squad the entire season.
[edit] 2001
During most of football's "off-season", Swayne was still playing. The now-defunct XFL had been started by Vince McMahon, and Swayne was eager to try out. He was given a spot on the Orlando Rage. On February 3, 2001, Swayne caught a Jeff Brohm pass to score the XFL's first touchdown. He was one of the Rage's stars that season, but would never play again in the league. However, his AFL and XFL success sparked bigger things for Swayne. The New York Jets offered him a 3-year contract, and he accepted. With the Jets, Swayne played in 15 games, starting two, and caught 13 passes for 203 yards. He ranked third on the team in each of the last two categories, and had a generally productive season as the team's slot receiver. He also had 1 reception for 15 yards in the Jets' playoff game against Oakland, which was lost 22-24. Swayne also played in the Arena League for the newly-founded New York Dragons. He set a new high in receiving yardage, with 1890, and scored 260 points to lead the team for the third straight year. He also set a record for TD receptions in one game, with seven against the Carolina Cobras.
[edit] 2002
Swayne enjoyed another highly productive season with the Jets, albeit not quite as succesful as his rookie year. He played in 15 games once more, but only caught 6 passes for 15 yards, and his slot-receiver role was replaced by Santana Moss, who was in his second year as well. Kevin did not play in the Jets' two playoff games, a win against the Indianapolis Colts and a loss to the Oakland Raiders.
[edit] 2003
Swayne's third year with the Jets was arguably his best pro year. Although his role with the team became diminished and he only caught two passes, one of those passes was the most important of his career. In a 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football, Swayne caught a 27-yard strike for his only NFL touchdown (to date). That score was the deciding margin, as the Jets squeaked out a 7-point win. Swayne caught a 2-yard pass the next week for his last NFL catch. The Jets decided not to renew Swayne's contract, and let him go as a free agent.
[edit] 2004
In his first action with the Dragons since 2001, Swayne was welcomed back. Unfortunately, after a succesful first-week return, Swayne missed the next six games with a hamstring injury. In the season finale, however, his presence was felt with two touchdowns in a Dragons win.
[edit] 2005
Swayne only played in six games, but still made an impact. He was fifth on the team in receiving yardage, and had 23 receptions for 11 touchdowns. He passed two important personal milestones on February 19, against the Nashville Kats, scoring both his 100th touchdown and his 500th receiving yard. He scored 5 touchdowns, his season high, in this game as well.
[edit] Personal life
Swayne plays and lives in New York, where he intends to remain. He and his wife, Jaime, have two children, Hannah and Ezekiel.
Swayne is an avowed Christian who often talks about how his mother taught him the importance of Jesus in his daily life.
