Reggie Swinton
Encyclopedia
Reginald Terrell Swinton (born August 24, 1975 in Little Rock, Arkansas
) is an American football
punt
and kick return specialist who is currently a free agent
.
At Murray State University
from 1994–1997, he established the school record for career passes caught (136) and receiving yards (2,346). He was the first Murray State player to amass more than 1,000 yards receiving in a season (1,042 in 1996) and was selected All-Ohio Valley Conference
that year. His Murray State receiving records have since been broken.
.
After signing as a rookie free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars
but not making the team in 1998, his pro career began in 1999 in the Canadian Football League
with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
where he ranked 10th in the CFL in kickoff returns with a 25.8 average and one touchdown. He was released from the CFL after that season and resurfaced in 2001 with the Arkansas Twisters in af2
where he led the team with 85 pass receptions for 1,463 yards and 33 touchdowns. That fall he joined the Dallas Cowboys
, where he set single-season club records for kickoff returns (56), kickoff return yards (1,327), and combined kick return yards (1,741).
His 13.7-yard average on punt returns ranked third in the NFL, second in the NFC
, and his 23.7-yard average on kickoff returns was ninth in the NFL and seventh in the NFC. Those numbers earned him second-team All-Pro recognition from College and Pro Football Newsweekly as a punt returner.
After averaging 24.9 yards on kickoff returns (including a touchdown) and 7.4 yards on punt returns in 2002, Swinton was released early in the 2003 season by the Cowboys but was shortly thereafter signed by the Detroit Lions
. In Detroit, Swinton finished the season averaging 13.8 yards on punt returns, fourth-best in the NFL. He was one of only two players in the league (with Kansas City's Dante Hall
) to have both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown that season.
In 2004 with the Lions, he averaged 22.8 yards on kickoff returns and 6.5 yards on punt returns, and had his best year as a receiver, catching 18 passes for 410 yards. Swinton was acquired by the Arizona Cardinals
for the 2005 season where, as the team's primary kick returner, he averaged 23.1 yards on kickoff returns and 8.0 yards on punt returns.
On December 15, 2009, according to NFL.com/transactions, Swinton had signed to the Practice Squad of the Atlanta Falcons
.
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
punt
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
and kick return specialist 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....
.
High school and college careers
Swinton attended Central High School and won All-State honors in football, basketball, baseball, and track.At Murray State University
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
from 1994–1997, he established the school record for career passes caught (136) and receiving yards (2,346). He was the first Murray State player to amass more than 1,000 yards receiving in a season (1,042 in 1996) and was selected All-Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
that year. His Murray State receiving records have since been broken.
Professional career
Swinton has four career NFL kick returns for touchdowns, two on punt returns, two on kickoff returnsKickoff (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"...
.
After signing as a rookie free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
but not making the team in 1998, his pro career began in 1999 in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
where he ranked 10th in the CFL in kickoff returns with a 25.8 average and one touchdown. He was released from the CFL after that season and resurfaced in 2001 with the Arkansas Twisters in af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
where he led the team with 85 pass receptions for 1,463 yards and 33 touchdowns. That fall he joined the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, where he set single-season club records for kickoff returns (56), kickoff return yards (1,327), and combined kick return yards (1,741).
His 13.7-yard average on punt returns ranked third in the NFL, second in the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
, and his 23.7-yard average on kickoff returns was ninth in the NFL and seventh in the NFC. Those numbers earned him second-team All-Pro recognition from College and Pro Football Newsweekly as a punt returner.
After averaging 24.9 yards on kickoff returns (including a touchdown) and 7.4 yards on punt returns in 2002, Swinton was released early in the 2003 season by the Cowboys but was shortly thereafter signed by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. In Detroit, Swinton finished the season averaging 13.8 yards on punt returns, fourth-best in the NFL. He was one of only two players in the league (with Kansas City's Dante Hall
Dante Hall
Damieon Dante Hall is a former American football Return specialist, and wide receiver in the National Football League. He is considered one of the greatest return specialists in NFL History...
) to have both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown that season.
In 2004 with the Lions, he averaged 22.8 yards on kickoff returns and 6.5 yards on punt returns, and had his best year as a receiver, catching 18 passes for 410 yards. Swinton was acquired by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for the 2005 season where, as the team's primary kick returner, he averaged 23.1 yards on kickoff returns and 8.0 yards on punt returns.
On December 15, 2009, according to NFL.com/transactions, Swinton had signed to the Practice Squad of the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.