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The Detroit Lions’ decision to take Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 was the move that hijacked the draft for two days as rumors swirled about D’Andre Swift’s future. The starting running back appeared to be on the trading block, with the Philadelphia Eagles listed as a prime candidate to swoop in and get him.
Which they did. Swift never took to Twitter to vent frustrations about essentially getting benched. His agent started exploring trade options behind the scenes and everything was kept civil. Now the 24-year-old rusher is playing for his hometown team. Things worked out.
“It’s a business so I understand it but it was a lot of different emotions that I was dealing with all at one time,” Swift told reporters. “It still is right now, like I said, just the not knowing factor. I’m not going to get too much into it but it’s past me now. I’m here. I’m in Philadelphia. I play for the Eagles so I’m ready to take on this journey each and every day and just got to work every single day and just earn my keep.”
Reporters kept trying to get Swift to say something controversial about the way things ended in Detroit. Surely he was angry and upset that the team reached for a rookie running back, right? He must harbor hard feelings toward the Lions’ organization, right? Not really, just surprised more than anything else.
“Yes, it was a surprise, there was really no explanation,” Swift said. “Everything kind of went through my agent, like I said, a lot of different emotions going up and down.”
And, in his heart of hearts, Swift probably does have traces of ill will regarding his odd and unexpected Detroit exit. If so, he wasn’t going to let it out.
“I don’t want to get too much into it but just the not knowing factor, definitely surprised,” Swift said. “Like I said, I thank the City of Detroit, the team training staff, everybody in the building from top to bottom, for everything that they gave me for the last three years but I’m definitely excited for this new journey.”
Hometown Hero Ready to Earn His Role
It’s been widely assumed that Swift will take over for Miles Sanders as the new starter in Philly. That’s the assumption, although it’s far from a given. He’ll have a competition at training camp, mainly from Rashaad Penny with Kenny Gainwell and Boston Scott mixing in there. The Eagles love to spread the load around in the backfield. So it’s no surprise that the team hasn’t assured Swift of his role.
“Taking it day by day,” Swift said. “I’m so focused on coming in here and just working every single day, just earning my keep, whatever role they see fit for me. All for the way that I come into work every day, it will be something that I earn.”
Swift has enviable skills and untapped potential when looking at his tape. He has yet to hit the 1,000-yard plateau in a single season but injuries have slowed him down a bit. The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder still has racked up an impressive 1,1680 rushing yards in 40 career games, plus 1,198 receiving yards and 25 total touchdowns.
Self-Motivated: St. Joseph’s Prep Kid
Swift grew up in South Jersey and played his high school football at St. Joseph’s Prep where he won two state championships alongside Olamide Zaccheaus. He actually practiced at the Eagles’ practice facility as a teenager and Eagles staffers kept tabs on him, including coming out to his Friday night games. Swift didn’t even know anyone was watching him.
What he did know was that he wanted to play professional football. He parlayed an electric high school career into a dominant college one at Georgia — 2,885 rushing yards, good for seventh place on the school’s all-time list — and then went 35th overall to the Lions in 2020. All the while, he has credited his Philly upbringing and schooling at St. Joseph’s Prep.
“I’m self-motivated. Nobody ever told me to go do this, or go do that,” Swift said. “I want to get better each day. I want to learn. I’m always eager to learn new things and never being complacent, that’s one thing I’m big on, always getting better at something each day.”
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