Player Perspectives: Nick Swanson

This weeks edition of Player Perspectives features Senior Defensive Back and Team Captain Nick Swanson. Swanson was a three year starter in the Cardinals defensive backfield where his very productive career culiminated in 165 tackles, 6 interceptions, 15 pass breakups and 4 sacks. During his time at North Central, Nick was apart of four playoff qualifying teams and three CCIW conference champion teams, all of which he played an instrumental part in. Swanson and his teammates posted the best record over a four year span in North Central football history (38-9) and recently capped off the first undefeated regular season and 11 win season in school history. In his piece, Swanson reflects back on his four year playing career at North Central College, where the program has gone in his time with the school and what he feels it means to be a Cardinal football player. Swanson, who will graduate in the Spring with a degree in chemisty, is a 2005 graduate of Sandburg High School.

What does North Central College Football mean to me? After four years of playing football here, that is the question I started asking myself more and more frequently as my final season drew to a close. I guess the best way to go about answering this is to start from the beginning. When I first came to camp my freshman year I remember very well being intimidated by the older guys. It had nothing to do with the way the older guys treated me, I have no complaints about the seniors they were amazing to me. It was something else that intimidated me about those guys. Players like Tennerelli, Lenny and Bellz were different. The thing that set them apart from just another big guy playing football was the confidence they carried everywhere. That was what I wanted, that swagger, the confidence that comes with playing North Central Football. As an underclassman I didn’t know how to get that “chip on my shoulder” as Coach Wienke calls it, but over time and through training, I finally earned that swagger I saw in those guys 4 years ago.

When I was asked to write this I was asked to pick out the funniest thing that I remember from my football career, honestly, I couldn’t pick out just one story. I’ve had a lot of great times on the field as well as off. My favorite times of the day during the football season (except the games) have to be the times when everyone is sitting around just hanging out. For example, before practice when everyone is listening to music in the locker room, usually the worst dancers on the team try to impress everyone despite their lack of ability. Another perfect example would be after practice when everyone is tired and beat up and the feeling of just being around guys that you know that are working for the same goals as you are.

What is the largest change in NCC football in my four years? Coach Thorne got a TV show, evidence that North Central’s football program is rapidly becoming elite in Division III football. When people would ask what school I go to, and I would reply NCC, people would usually just nod and pretend like they knew where I was talking about. Recently, it seems like more of the people I meet have heard of the school. How do I feel about my success as a North Central College Football? Since being at NCC we have won 38 games, in my senior year we went 11-1 going undefeated in the regular season for the first time in the schools history. Needless to say, my four years have been surreal. These numbers have come from one place, the work ethic of the players. Enduring a season of Coach Wienke’s lifting packet reminds you that you need a special sort of drive or you will not make it here. I could not be happier about where I have been with this team or the records that we have completely shattered along the way.

What will I miss most? I will miss being close to all of these guys, after football is over everything changes. Everyone gets jobs, they have separate lives, they live in different places, and you really need to make an effort to see the people you want to see or before you know it you won’t even know those people anymore. Even in a school this size it is difficult to see everyone that you saw everyday for 4+ hours during football. I will miss preparing for a game; I loved studying the other team, looking for different tendencies that will give you the mental edge. Any meathead can lift weights and run and hit someone, but the truly good players study the game. I really loved the mental part of the game; I felt like that really made football special.