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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Quentin Swain
11/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 3, 2003
Once a year football programs throughout the country announce the names of their players who have signed National Letters of Intent. These are individuals who have been singled out with scholarship offers.
A coach may stand before the boosters and announce something similar to: "We have signed a 6-0, 230 pound linebacker from Miami Northwestern. He has great speed, is quick to the ball and will come to our program with a strong knowledge of the game after transferring from the University of West Virginia.
Several times in 2003 reporters have heard upcoming coaches describe FAU linebackers as "Heat Seekers", "Assassins", "Aggressive players who can clog-up the middle or defend the pass."
Quentin Swain is such a player. Quiet and humble, Swain has a smile that can brighten any room. He comes to play with little or no celebration and always with a smile. In 2003 he has led the team in tackles twice, both in double digits, and has been among the top three in all but one game.
One of seven children, Quentin, the second from the youngest, is part of a warm and welcoming family. His dad, a former cornerback at Florida A&M, and mom, a track star at A&M, have produced a dynasty of athletes. "My two brothers are at A&M now, one is a cornerback, the other a receiver," said Swain. "We have always been competitive. Any Swain gathering ends up with a wrestling match. Even my sisters are part of it. My oldest sister Marcea, the smallest in the family, still jumps on my back and tries to swing me to the ground. It doesn't work anymore! I think my listen and learn attitude comes from being part of such a big family."
If the Swain house was filled with family, it over-flowed with friends. Antonio Brown, who now plays in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, Antonio Bryant, who plays with the Dallas Cowboys and Zach Ville, who is a defensive lineman at Missouri are a few.
It was the family and friends that Swain reluctantly left behind when he initially signed with WVU. It was the family and friends he sought after his sophomore campaign.
"Out of high school, I was recruited heavily by FAU," said Swain. "I chose West Virginia because I wanted to go away from home. I wanted to be on my own. My freshman season went real well. After my sophomore year though, I wanted to come back home. My parents and I decided that FAU was the place I should return too."
He returned to south Florida in the spring of 2003 and began building a bond with his FAU teammates. His relationship with players is very family-like.
"All three of us (Swain, Tyrone Higgins, and Chris Laskowski) have a motive. "We love to get to the ball," said Swain. "We encourage and challenge each other and compete, within our unit, to make every play better than the last. Chris challenges everyone and Tyrone is a quiet rock, but on the field he comes to play."
Swain also comes to play. He just does it with little or no celebration. He has led the 2003 team in tackles twice, both in double digits, and been among the top three in but one game.
This season, the Thanksgiving gathering at the Swain house may be a little different. The family and friends who gather will also celebrate a successful FAU season and the conclusion of Quentin's senior campaign.
"It would be something if I had to miss Thanksgiving because we were preparing for post-season," said Swain. "FAU is just beginning. I'm happy to be a part of that. Coach Schnellenberger has been through this. It will be something to sit with my grandson, watch an FAU game and tell him I was part of building the football program."
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