Swogger waiting for shot at pros

Josh Swogger is waiting.

He’s waiting for that next phone call, waiting anxiously for the NFL Draft, waiting to see which NFL uniform he might get to wear. Waiting for his dream to come true.
And while he waits, he is on the phone with the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts.

“It’s tough to say what’s going to happen in the draft, because you just never know,” Swogger said. “You can run yourself in circles trying to figure out who likes you and who doesn’t, so I’m just going to wait and see what happens.”

The 6-foot-5 quarterback, who threw for 2,659 yards at Montana last fall, turned some heads at the NFL Combine nearly a month ago. Scout.com NFL expert and former pro scout Tom Marino saw Swogger’s workout in Indianapolis, and was impressed with his strong arm. In an article on Scout.com, Marino called Swogger a “nice surprise” and said he could be one of the sleeper prospects in this year’s draft.

“It’s nice to have articles that give you that recognition,” Swogger said. “But in the end, the only thing that matters is what the teams think.”

Swogger said his numbers at the Combine weren’t as good as he would have liked. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.12 seconds, which he later trimmed down to 4.97 seconds at his Pro Day at UM on March 21. Former Griz Tuff Harris and Levander Segars also participated in the showcase.

“I ran the 40 under five seconds twice,” Swogger said.

The Combine was a good experience for Swogger to measure himself against other quarterbacks. He got interviews with 22 teams, and is being heavily recruited by the Packers. The staff at Green Bay thought highly of him, and said he could be an option late in the draft. In addition to the Packers and Eagles, Swogger said he has spoken several times with the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. He also has the same agent as Colts tight end Ben Utech, which has helped him catch the attention of the Super Bowl champs.

But not all teams at the Combine were impressed. In an online scouting report, the Miami Dolphins wrote that he did not have an NFL arm. On nfldraftcountdown.com, analyst Scott Wright wrote that despite Swogger’s strong arm and good size, he couldn’t cut it against top competition. He said he has limited mobility, and “makes a lot of bad decisions … he’s still just a developmental guy.”

But Swogger isn’t listening to what the scouting reports are saying. He’s just thinking about the opportunity to maybe get to adorn an NFL jersey come football season.
“I don’t care where I go,” Swogger said. “I’m excited just to get the chance to play.

“Wherever I go, that’s where I’m gonna be.”

And he waits.