By Darin Hayes Pat Swilling was born on October 25, 1964, in Toccoa, Georgia, and quickly established a reputation as one of football’s most feared pass rushers at both the collegiate and professional levels.
An article on si.com about the football great tells how Swilling was a pass-rushing standout at Georgia Tech, setting an NCAA record with 7 sacks against NC State on his way to becoming a first-team All-American.
The National Football Foundation selected Pat Swilling to enter the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009. The New Orleans Saints selected Pat Swilling in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft, and he went on to have a brilliant 12-year career in the League.
In 1992, Swilling, along with fellow Saint backers Vaughn Johnson, Sam Mills, and Ricky Jackson, all made the same Pro Bowl roster —the first and only time this has happened in NFL history!
Accolades and Accomplishments
College Career (Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets):
- 1985 First-team All-American (Consensus).
- Set the NCAA record for sacks in a single game with seven against NC State in 1985.
- Set the Georgia Tech single-season sacks record with 15 (1985).
- College Football Hall of Fame Inductee (2009).
Professional Career (New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders):
- NFL Defensive Player of the Year (AP, 1991).
- NFL Sacks Leader (1991) with a career-high 17.0 sacks.
- 5-Time Pro Bowl selection (1989–1993).
- 4-Time All-Pro selection: 2x First-team (1991, 1992) and 2x Second-team (1989, 1990).
- Member of the legendary “Dome Patrol” linebacking corps with the New Orleans Saints.
- In 1992, he, along with Saints linebackers Rickey Jackson, Vaughan Johnson, and Sam Mills, all made the Pro Bowl—the only starting linebacker unit in NFL history to accomplish this feat.
- Totaled 107.5 career sacks (Ranks Top 20 all-time).
- New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame Inductee (2000).