Brett Swenson
Encyclopedia
Brett Swenson is an American football placekicker
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts
as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Michigan State University
.
to parents Gary and Celia Swenson. He grew up in Pompano Beach, Florida
and attended Cardinal Gibbons High School
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
for his first three years, where he was a two-year starter in football
. As a junior, he recorded a total of 44 points. Swenson made good nine of 11 field goal attempts, including three of 40-yards or longer and a career-best of 49 yards, 17 of 18 extra point
attempts, and 19 kickoff
s that resulted in touchback
s. That season, he was named a Miami Herald
first-team All-Broward County
player and a Florida Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Class 3A second-team all-state player.
For his senior year in 2005, Swenson attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He recorded a total of 81 points and made seven of 11 field goal and 60 of 61 extra point attempts. He also executed 57 kickoffs for touchbacks. He was named a FSWA Class 5A second-team all-state and South Florida Sun-Sentinel first-team all-county player. Both Scout.com
and Rivals.com
rated him the fourth-ranked placekicker in the nation.
Swenson was a member of the National Honor Society
.
where he majored in criminal justice
. As a freshman in 2006
, he led the team in scoring with 78 points. He made 15 of 19 field goal and all 33 extra point attempts. Swenson tied for third in the Big Ten Conference
with 1.25 field goals per game and 0.789 field goal percentage. He was honored as a Lou Groza Star of the Week for a 28-yard go-ahead field goal against Northwestern
with 13 seconds remaining, which capped the greatest comeback in NCAA history
. He was named a Football Writers Association of America
(FWAA), The Sporting News
, College Football News
, and Rivals.com
first-team freshman All-American. Swenson was also named an honorable mention All-Big Ten player by both the media and coaches.
In 2007
, he finished second on the team in scoring with 98 points, behind school record-setting running back
Jehuu Caulcrick
. Swenson made 15 of 22 field goal and 53 of 54 extra points attempts. He set the school single-season record for extra points, besting Morten Andersen
's previous record of 52 in 1978. Swenson finished the season as the tenth-leading scorer in the Big Ten.
In 2008
, he compiled 100 points on 22 of 28 field goal and all 34 extra point attempts. Against Indiana
, he was named a Lou Groza Star of the Week for a career-high 16 points, career-high four field goals, and career-long 48-yard field goal. Due in part to a missing all three field goal attempts against Michigan
, Swenson was not selected as one of the twenty Lou Groza Award
semifinalists, which Michigan State associate athletic director for communications John Lewandowski called "remarkably disappointing". The following game, he was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Wisconsin
. He made all four field goal attempts including a game-winning 44-yard kick with seven seconds remaining to put the Spartans ahead 25-24. Swenson was named to the All-Big Ten second team by both the media and coaches.
In 2009, Swenson was named Team MVP for his role in several games, including a high-scoring victory over Purdue. He participated in the 2010 Senior Bowl. As of January 2010, CBS Sports
affiliate The NFL Draft Scout considered him the number-one placekicker prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft
and projects him being selected in the sixth or seventh round.
(not a single kicker was drafted). Afterwards on April 24, 2010, Swenson signed as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts. He is currently on injured reserved. He was released on July 28, 2011.
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
.
Early life
Brett Swenson was born on February 10, 1988 in West Islip, New YorkWest Islip, New York
West Islip is a hamlet and CDP, located in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Situated on the south shore of Long Island, the population of the CDP was 29,907 at the time of the 2000 census.-Geography:West Islip is located at ....
to parents Gary and Celia Swenson. He grew up in Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 99,845...
and attended Cardinal Gibbons High School
Cardinal Gibbons High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Cardinal Gibbons High School, commonly known as Gibbons, is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. CGHS was established in 1961 and was named after James Gibbons, the second Cardinal in the United States. CGHS is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami and...
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
for his first three years, where he was a two-year starter in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
. As a junior, he recorded a total of 44 points. Swenson made good nine of 11 field goal attempts, including three of 40-yards or longer and a career-best of 49 yards, 17 of 18 extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
attempts, and 19 kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
s that resulted in touchback
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
s. That season, he was named a Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
first-team All-Broward County
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
player and a Florida Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Class 3A second-team all-state player.
For his senior year in 2005, Swenson attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He recorded a total of 81 points and made seven of 11 field goal and 60 of 61 extra point attempts. He also executed 57 kickoffs for touchbacks. He was named a FSWA Class 5A second-team all-state and South Florida Sun-Sentinel first-team all-county player. Both Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
and Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
rated him the fourth-ranked placekicker in the nation.
Swenson was a member of the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
.
College career
Swenson enrolled at Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
where he majored in criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
. As a freshman in 2006
2006 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2006 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2006 season. Michigan State competed as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and played their home games...
, he led the team in scoring with 78 points. He made 15 of 19 field goal and all 33 extra point attempts. Swenson tied for third in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
with 1.25 field goals per game and 0.789 field goal percentage. He was honored as a Lou Groza Star of the Week for a 28-yard go-ahead field goal against Northwestern
2006 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 2006 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the Big Ten Conference during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Randy Walker died unexpectedly on June 29, 2006 of an apparent heart attack at the age of 52...
with 13 seconds remaining, which capped the greatest comeback in NCAA history
2006 Michigan State vs. Northwestern football game
The 2006 edition of the Michigan State Spartans / Northwestern Wildcats football game featured the biggest comeback in NCAA history. The Spartans, after falling behind to the Wildcats 38-3 with 9:54 remaining in the 3rd quarter, rallied to score 38 unanswered points to defeat the Wildcats...
. He was named a Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
(FWAA), The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
, College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
, and Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
first-team freshman All-American. Swenson was also named an honorable mention All-Big Ten player by both the media and coaches.
In 2007
2007 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2007 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 2007–2008 college football season. Mark Dantonio began his first season as the Spartans' head coach. The Spartans play their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.-Schedule:-2008 NFL...
, he finished second on the team in scoring with 98 points, behind school record-setting running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Jehuu Caulcrick
Jehuu Caulcrick
Jehuu Tobias Caulcrick is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Michigan State....
. Swenson made 15 of 22 field goal and 53 of 54 extra points attempts. He set the school single-season record for extra points, besting Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
's previous record of 52 in 1978. Swenson finished the season as the tenth-leading scorer in the Big Ten.
In 2008
2008 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2008 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 2008–2009 college football season. The team's head coach was Mark Dantonio. The Spartans played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan...
, he compiled 100 points on 22 of 28 field goal and all 34 extra point attempts. Against Indiana
2008 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 2008 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented the Indiana University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hoosiers were coached by Bill Lynch and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.-Schedule:...
, he was named a Lou Groza Star of the Week for a career-high 16 points, career-high four field goals, and career-long 48-yard field goal. Due in part to a missing all three field goal attempts against Michigan
2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
, Swenson was not selected as one of the twenty Lou Groza Award
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
semifinalists, which Michigan State associate athletic director for communications John Lewandowski called "remarkably disappointing". The following game, he was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Wisconsin
2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were coached by Bret Bielema and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin....
. He made all four field goal attempts including a game-winning 44-yard kick with seven seconds remaining to put the Spartans ahead 25-24. Swenson was named to the All-Big Ten second team by both the media and coaches.
In 2009, Swenson was named Team MVP for his role in several games, including a high-scoring victory over Purdue. He participated in the 2010 Senior Bowl. As of January 2010, CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
affiliate The NFL Draft Scout considered him the number-one placekicker prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
and projects him being selected in the sixth or seventh round.
Indianapolis Colts
Despite being predicted as a the number one kicker, Swenson was not drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
(not a single kicker was drafted). Afterwards on April 24, 2010, Swenson signed as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts. He is currently on injured reserved. He was released on July 28, 2011.
External links
- Swenson hits all bull's-eyes, Lansing State JournalLansing State JournalThe Lansing State Journal is a daily newspaper published in Lansing, Michigan owned by Gannett.-Overview:The Lansing State Journal is the sole daily newspaper published in metropolitan Lansing...
, September 28, 2008. - MSU's Swenson hits record 15th straight field goal, MLive.com, October 11, 2008.
- Spartans' Swenson can't kick superstitions, MLive.com, October 9, 2008.
- Swenson gets good advice from Andersen, The Detroit NewsThe Detroit NewsThe Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
, October 9, 2008.