Lynn Swann
football player; broadcaster
Personal Information
Born on March 7, 1952, in Alcoa, Tennessee; married; children.
Education: University of Southern California.
Career
University of Southern California, All-American wide receiver; Pittsburgh Steelers, played nine seasons before retiring in 1982; ABC, commentator for "Monday Night Football," "Wild World of Sports," 1984 Summer Olympics, 1988 Winter Olympics, 1976-; CourtTV, special guest commentator, 2000.
Life's Work
Lynn Swann wowed football fans and players alike with his ballet-like ability to the catch a pass for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His inception into the upper echelon of the NFL was solidified with an Most Valuable Player performance in Super Bowl X, thus making him a household name. His grace and ability on the football field led to numerous Super Bowl and Steeler team records. However, it was his continual career planning that kept Swann in the limelight. Possessing a keen understanding that there was "life after football," Swann took time during his playing days to plan what would become a successful career in broadcasting.
Born March 7, 1952, in Alcoa, Tennessee, Swann began his stellar football career in college. He attended the University of Southern California where he was an All-American. He was drafted in the first round (21st overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent all nine of his NFL seasons in Pittsburgh, racking up numerous club records.
Super Bowl X
After two years with the Steelers, Swann had the season of a lifetime, culminating in one of the most memorable Super Bowl performances in football history. Super Bowl X had seen three lead changes entering the fourth quarter. With the Steelers leading by only five points late in the fourth and final quarter, the game was clearly anyone's to win. With 4:25 remaining and the ball on their own 36 yard line, Steeler quarterback Terry Bradshaw faded back and fired a shot to Swann, who, in one of the most dramatic and unforgettable catches in NFL history, quickly converted it to a 64-yard touchdown reception. The NFL website described the catch as "juggling, tumbling...one of the Super Bowl's greatest plays. Stumbling over a defender, Swann was horizontal, parallel with the field in midair when he caught the pass." The Steelers held off Dallas for the 21-17 win. Swann was named Most Valuable Player for pulling down four receptions for 161 yards and the touchdown.
Swann's presence in the game, though essential for the win, was not without danger. Swann had experienced a serious concussion two weeks before and doctors were leery of letting him play. They had warned him that another blow to the head could cause permanent damage. In just two years since joining the Steelers, Swann's career was in jeopardy.
For Swann, the decision to play was fueled by the remarks of an opponent. According to the First Down website, when Dallas defensive back Cliff Harris "questioned Swann's courage, the receiver made the decision to play." Swann stated that such a challenge could not be ignored and, in fact, made him stronger throughout the game. "I read what Harris said," Swann told First Down. "He was trying to intimidate me. He said I'd be afraid out there. He couldn't scare me. Sure, I thought about the possibility of being reinjured. But it's like being thrown from a horse. You have to get up and ride again immediately or you may be scared for the rest of your life." During the game, Swann never felt he was in danger of injury. "I never had a day in my life when I felt so loose," he told First Down. "Nobody hit me to hurt me. They just hit me hard enough to make me get up and make another catch."
This would not be Swann's only Super Bowl performance, but it certainly was the most memorable. Swann went on to play in two more championship games as a Steeler. In Super Bowl XIII, a loss to Dallas, Swann caught seven passes for 124 yards. In Super Bowl XIV, Pittsburgh beat the Rams with Swann adding five catches for 79 yards.
Unparalleled Catching Ability
It was Swann's athleticism and grace that led to his startling performances. His style of receiving was not only unparalleled, but recognized as uniquely effective by teammates and media alike. Normally, a wide receiver might have to leap to make a catch, but such a feat is rarely cause for fanfare. Swann, however, turned catching into a production. Like a ballet dancer, he could leap, hang in the air, twist, contort, and somehow come down with the ball. He had to do it this way, for he was only 5 feet 11 inches tall.
Swann's career numbers put him in elite company. Recognizing this, the NFL Hall of Fame included Swann in 2001. After nine years of service to the Steelers, Swann's stats could not be compromised. His career totals included 364 receiving yards in four games and 336 receptions for 5,462 yards and 51 touchdowns, Additionally, he was named All-Pro in 1975, 1977, and 1987, and was voted to the Pro Bowl after each of those seasons.
In a Swann bio appearing at www.stillers.com, former teammate "Mean" Joe Greene said Swann's legacy was nearly untouchable. "Lynn Swann didn't have the stats, but he sure as heck made an impact," Greene said on the website. "No one made a bigger impact. It's like Gale Sayers. He didn't play a long time, but he made an impact. Lynn Swann had that impact. He played a lot of big games. I'm a great Lynn Swann fan."
In a February 17, 1999 Internet chat with Swann at the Time website, Swann fielded a number of question asking if players of his generation had a positive racial impact on the game. With a bit of humility and accuracy, Swann deferred the credit. While Swann's acrobatics somewhat changed the way defenses covered receivers, he pointed to those before him as the true pioneers. "Not my generation," he answered. "I believe it occurred in the early sixties. There are African-American players from small colleges, all the way to the large college, who came into the league and changed the way to the game was played."
The subject of African-American coaches--or a lack thereof--was present even at the end of the 2000 season. At that time, of 31 pro teams in the NFL, only four of them were led by African-American head coaches. Swann addressed this issue during Time's Internet chat, observing that, while opportunities abounded for African Americans as players, there was still "the misconception that we couldn't be the quarterback or middle linebacker because we weren't smart enough...We need to get over the issues of color and focus clearly on talent and work ethic." Swann continued, "I feel like there should be more black head coaches. There certainly are qualified candidates. Very often we see coaches who have not been successful being recycled, instead of looking for a new face or a new name who has demonstrated the ability to handle the job."
From Receiver to Reporter
Some players wait until it is too late to pursue a career outside of football. Sometimes declining performance or career-ending injury suddenly thrusts them into a different line of work. While still a wide receiver for the Steelers, Swann began exploring his broadcasting opportunities in the mid-1970s.
His early football commentator experience came with the now-defunct United States Football League from 1983 to 1985. He also covered the 1984 Winter Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Swann continued to pay his broadcasting dues covering a variety of events including: the English Rugby League final, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Iditarod dog sled race from Alaska.
While many have failed to make the transition from player to commentator, Swann learned from watching others around him fail. Swann observed, as he told Jet magazine, that "There are those with great communication talents, the guys like John Madden, who have unique personalities that can be transmitted over the air. Then there are the athletes who trained and prepared for this work by spending time in broadcasting while they were active players." He also learned that having a memorable name in sports can only help one in the pursuit of a broadcasting career, but that name recognition should not be substituted for hard work. He told Jet, "When you are a commentator, it is important to have a name that will draw the focus to you, but what you do once that attention is focused is what matters."
In addition to his family and broadcasting career, Swann has filled his time with charitable works. He has sat on the national Board of Directors for the Big Brother and Big Sisters of America since 1980. Also, he is the force behind a youth scholarship program for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School.
Awards
Super Bowl X, Most Valuable Player, 1976, named to NFL All-Pro Team, 1975, 1977, 1978; NFL record for most yards gained on punt returns for a rookie (577); four Super Bowl records and four Steelers records; National Football Foundation's College Hall of Fame, inductee, 1993; Walter Camp Football Foundation, Man of the Year Award, 1997; National Football League Hall of Fame, inductee, 2001.
Further Reading
Periodicals
- Jet, July 30, 1984, pg. 49.
- Sports Illustrated, Jan. 16, 1984.
- Additional material was found online at: http://www.angelfire.com; http://www.stillers.com/stillfaith; the Time magazine website, http://www.time.com; the NFL Hall of Fame website, http://www.profootballhof.com; http://www.first-down.co.uk; the ESPN website, http://www.espn.go.com; and the NFL website, http://www.nfl.com.
— John Horn
