Georgia Tech’s Tre Swilling to pursue NFL draft

Georgia Tech defensive back Tre Swilling (3) intercepts a pass intended for Clemson wide receiver Cornell Powell (17)  at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. on Thursday, August 29, 2019. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Georgia Tech defensive back Tre Swilling (3) intercepts a pass intended for Clemson wide receiver Cornell Powell (17) at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. on Thursday, August 29, 2019. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Georgia Tech cornerback Tre Swilling will be moving on to make his bid to play in the NFL. A tweet Thursday from a pre-draft showcase game announcing his participation offered confirmation of his decision.

The tweet from the Collegiate Bowl, conducted by the NFL Players Association, stated that Swilling “will be joining us at the 10th anniversary #NFLPABowl in January.”

Swilling was a four-year starter for the Yellow Jackets, playing in 41 games and starting 39.

He joins safety Juanyeh Thomas, cornerback Tobias Oliver and running back Jordan Mason among Tech players who had a fifth season of eligibility available to them but decided to pass it up.

The son of Tech great and College Football Hall of Famer Pat Swilling, Swilling leaves Tech with a business degree in hand. Recognized for his work ethic and his commitment to improving, Swilling finished with 100 career tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 23 passes defended and two interceptions. His second interception, memorably, was against Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the 2019 season opener, one of only eight that Lawrence threw that season.

When the 2021 season ended with a 45-0 loss to Georgia, Swilling said that he had yet to make up his mind about whether to stay. He also offered an eloquent response to a question about having his Senior Day ceremonies at Bobby Dodd Stadium conducted before a stadium filled with fans of archrival Georgia. He acknowledged that “it doesn’t feel great,” but also expressed his understanding for the circumstances that created that situation and his thanks for the Tech fans who did attend the game.

Those fans, Swilling said, are ”all we can really care about and really dwell on. Just thankful and grateful that we get a chance to play football, get a great education and be around other like-minded people, individuals and just be thankful, really.”