Pat Swilling grew up playing basketball and baseball and was blessed with height at a young age, standing 6 feet, 3 inches by the time he was a freshman. He was inspired to play football when he was watching the Dallas Cowboys’ Ed “Too Tall” Jones sack the quarterback in a televised game and believed he could use his gifts to become a pass rusher. Swilling decided to focus on football and became one of the state’s most dominant pass rushers by his senior year. Swilling continued his football career at Georgia Tech, where coach Bill Curry called him a “game changer.” He was a four-year starter, helping turn the program around, and was a key piece of the defense that adopted the nickname “Black Watch,” a moniker shared by Scottish military forces in the 1700s. Swilling set an NCAA single-game record with seven sacks against N.C. State in 1985 and became Tech’s all-time sacks leader (23). The New Orleans Saints selected Swilling in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft. He was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1991 and was a two-time All Pro (1991, 1992). Swilling was selected to five Pro Bowls. He has been inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.
The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame honors and celebrates the rich history, achievements, and contributions of high school football players, coaches, and supporters across the state.
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