Swilling, Patrick T.
Football
b. Oct. 25, 1964, Toccoa, GA
One of the new breed of speedy outside linebackers in the Lawrence Taylor mold, Swilling played at Georgia Tech and was chosen in the third round of the 1986 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.
The 6-foot-3, 242-pounder was named to The Sporting News all-NFL team in 1991 and 1992 and played in five consecutive Pro Bowls, from 1989 through 1993. Frequently used on blitzes, Swilling led the NFL with 17 quarterback sacks in 1991, when he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
New Orleans traded him to the Detroit Lions for two draft choices after the 1992 season. After two years in Detroit, he finished his career with the Oakland Raiders from 1995 through 1998.
Swilling had 107½ sacks and intercepted 6 passes, returning them for 79 yards and 1 touchdown.