Eric Jerrod Swann (born August 16, 1970) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals in the 1st round (6th overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft. A 6'5", 317 lbs. defensive tackle, Swann never attended college and was drafted from a semi-professional football team called the Bay State Titans located in Lynn, Massachusetts. He played in ten NFL seasons from 1991 to 2000 for the Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers.
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | (1970-08-16) August 16, 1970 (age 52) Sanford, North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 317 lb (144 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Lillington (NC) Western Harnett | ||||||||||
| College: | Wake Technical CC | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1991 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com | |||||||||||
Swann played high school football at Western Harnett High School in Lillington, North Carolina, and graduated in 1989.[1] During his high school years, he was state runner-up in shot-put and discus throwing, recording distances of 54' 02" and 152' 06", respectively.[2]
Swann was bound for North Carolina State University, but was ruled academically ineligible. Rather than enrolling as a Proposition 48[3] In 1990, he left Wake Technical to join the semi-pro Bay State Titans in Lynn, Massachusetts with a $5 an hour salary.[4][5]
On April 24, 1991, Swann signed a five-year contract with the Phoenix Cardinals.[5] In 1995 and 1996, Swann was named an NFL All Pro and to those years' Pro Bowl teams.
In 1998, Swann re-signed with the Cardinals for a five-year, $25 million contract with a $7.5 million signing bonus.[6] At that point in time, it was the richest contract ever signed by a Cardinals player in the history of the franchise.[7] Because he was recovering from knee surgeries, Swann did not practice with the Cardinals in the 1999 training camp period.[8] In 1999, he played nine games and had four sacks and a 42-yard interception.[9]
The Cardinals waived Swann on July 11, 2000.[10] Two weeks later, he signed a one-year, veterans' minimum deal with the Carolina Panthers along with Reggie White.[11]
Eric Swann agreed in 2007 to play for the Hudson Valley Saints, who are a member of the North American Football League.[12]
Eric Swann was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.[13]
Six years ago, the 6-foot-5, 295-pounder dropped out of Wake Technical College in Raleigh, N.C., to play for the Lynn, Mass.-based Bay State Titans of the short-lived Minor League Football System.
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Phoenix Cardinals 1991 NFL draft selections | |
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Arizona Cardinals first-round draft picks | |
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Formerly the Chicago Cardinals (1920–1959), St. Louis Cardinals (1960–1987) and Phoenix Cardinals (1988–1993) | |
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