As the 12th member and fifth defensive back of the Yellow Jackets' 2017 signing class, Tre Swilling assumes position of recruiter to continue the Swilling legacy at Georgia Tech.
As Swilling — a 3-star senior from Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, La. — takes the path his father All-American great Pat Swilling, he continues the Swilling legacy at Tech. Tre Swilling also joins Ken Swilling, Pat Swilling’s cousin, who played defensive back for Georgia Tech from 1988 through 1991 and later played for the Cleveland Browns. Swilling was also a part of the 1990 Georgia Tech National Championship team.
Even with the excitement of his commitment announced on his Twitter page on Monday evening, Tre Swilling isn’t content with being the only member of the new generation of Swillings to join the Jackets.
“The two guys I have to get the most are my brother and my cousin to come in and continue the Swilling legacy and give Georgia Tech a great name and try to put it back on the map like it was and how it should be,” Tre Swilling said.
Swilling’s brother Bruce Jordan-Swilling hasn’t yet announced his college decision, although it was teased in a Tweet from Swilling that they would jointly announce their commitments on Monday.
Jordan-Swilling, a 4-star running back also from Brother Martin, confirmed Monday evening that he needed more time to think about his decision and would be making his announcement on Wednesday or Thursday.
“I’m going to kind of put the pressure on (Bruce Jordan-Swilling) a little bit,” Swilling joked. “I think that he’s just really just trying to weigh the options, but I’m sure that he’ll probably make that jump soon. I mean, I’ll get him to. That’s my job.”
In addition to Jordan-Swilling, Swilling also said he wants to recruit his second cousin Josh Swilling, Ken Swilling’s son and a senior from Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, Ga. Josh Swilling is a 2-star defensive end currently being recruited by Arkansas State and Georgia State, according to 247 Sports.
Living just an hour and a half from LSU’s campus, Tre Swilling’s Tech decision wasn’t always clear. He was drawn to LSU just as he was to Tech throughout the recruiting process.
Even to the time of his announcement, LSU’s program weighed on Swilling’s mind.
“Sitting down and talking to my family and really sitting down on my own and looking at the pros and cons of each program that I was considering, I think Georgia Tech had the most pros than any other program as far as continuing the legacy that the Swillings have had at Georgia Tech and also rewriting it and putting my own foot down and making my mark,” Swilling said.
Swilling, 6-foot, 180 pound senior, is listed as the 16th top recruit in 2017 from Louisiana, according to 247 Sports 2017 Top Louisiana Football Recruits list.
When remembering how many visits he’s made to Georgia Tech’s campus, Swilling couldn’t guess because he’s been visiting his whole life.
The first college football game he attended was at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
“It’s so crazy that when I was younger, I was so gung-ho basically about Georgia Tech,” Swilling said. “I know the fight song. I’m not even sure how many people on the team know the fight song, but I know the fight song so that’s one of the first schools that I became acclimated with.”
Swilling will not be enrolling early in Georgia Tech. According to Swilling, Brother Martin High School doesn’t allow early graduation. Swilling said he looks forward to enjoying his senior year in New Orleans before he gets to work in Atlanta.
In addition to family and personal reflection, defensive coordinator Ted Roof played a role in swaying Swilling.
Roof, who played with Pat Swilling at Georgia Tech from 1982 through 1985, has been a part of Tre Swillings’ life since he was young. Swilling sees Roof “almost like an uncle” and a confidante during the recruiting process. Even though quarterback and B-back coach Bryan Cook was Swilling’s area recruiter, Roof was the one with whom Swilling asked questions and shared concerns.
One of the conversations they’ve shared is whether Swilling will be used as a general defensive back or stay a cornerback, the position Swilling is passionate about.
“I would play anything to help the team out but (cornerback is) what I personally want to play,” Swilling said. “I think my length and range and my physical toughness should allow me to dominate in any conference or any level.”
Swilling said through conversations with Roof, he believes he has a good chance of playing cornerback as a Jacket.
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