Erik Swoope’s transition to football no laughing matter

ANDERSON — Before rookie Erik Swoope could finish a sentence in response to a reporter’s question Friday afternoon, he was interrupted by fellow tight end Dwayne Allen.

With a broad smile on his face, Allen gave a glowing review of the former University of Miami basketball player’s time in training camp so far.

“He’s been ballin’,” Allen said. “He’s been doing great, not just for a guy that transitioned to football, he’s just been dominating. It’s natural for him. So negate anything and everything that he said to make himself come off as a humble guy.”

Allen, of course, was exaggerating a bit for comedic effect, but that’s fitting. Because even Swoope himself thought somebody was trying to make a joke at his expense when his unlikely football career began.

Shortly after Miami’s run in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament came to an end, Hurricanes’ coaches got word to the power forward that the Denver Broncos had been calling for a few weeks to set up a tryout.

“I just thought it was false, to be honest,” Swoope said. “There’s just no way. This has to be a joke. There’s no way. I’ve never played before. And I took about two weeks just to think about it and assess if I even wanted to go down that road. And I found myself really, really curious. Of course, glad I did.”

Swoope becomes the second player in as many years to join Indianapolis and play his first down of organized football in the NFL. Former Kenyan rugby player Daniel Adongo made a similar transition last year and made his debut at any level of the game in December against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Swoope understands the odds he’s up against, but he’s getting plenty of help along the way.

“The guys in the room, they’ve been helping me out so much and being patient with me,” he said. “I’ve just been trying to do my part.”

He was surprised to see players on the defensive side helping out, suggesting changes to his footwork and pointing out ways he might be tipping the play to opponents.

But, mostly, he’s allowed his natural athleticism to takeover. Swoope likened the physicality of football to his days manning the paint in the ACC.

One of the bigger transitions has been learning to catch with shoulder pads in the way, and he knows many more surprises lie ahead. But his early performance has him ahead of schedule.

“He’s been doing great, really been picking up everything that’s been thrown at him, really shown his athleticism whenever he’s called to in the passing game” Allen said in a more serious moment. “He’s stronger than most people think in the run game and pass protection. So he’s coming along well. A great find for the guru Ryan Grigson.”


(newsandtribune.com)