Nate Olson: Reggie Swinton Builds AAU Football Program

I walked into the Rebsamen Park Golf Course Pro Shop Monday afternoon and asked for Reggie Swinton. Two gentlemen and a woman sitting at a table pointed to the corner. I looked down and saw the former NFL receiver/return man sprawled out on the floor. “Are you OK?” I asked. “Yeah, I’m just tired.”

Sleep hasn’t been a priority for Swinton the past few weeks, as he prepared for fundraising events for his AAU Football program – the Arkansas Lions.A large group of former Arkansas athletes and NFL players joined Swinton for a Mix n’ Mingle event Sunday night at the Milestone Events Center in North Little Rock, and then a golf tournament on Monday morning. Aside from heavy rain, the event was a success. Every celebrity that committed to the event showed up.

The list included former Dallas Cowboys Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, Bill Bates and Flozell Adams, as well as former Razorbacks Anthony Lucas, Madre Hill, Matt Jones, Kenoy Kennedy and Todd Day and others. Former UA coach Houston Nutt was also in attendance.“I’m very excited about the turnout of the celebrities and fans that came to help me with this endeavor,” Swinton said. “It’s monumental, and I ’m hoping this will get more people to take coaching more serious with the youth.”

Last fall I was lounging on the couch on a lazy fall afternoon when my phone rang. It was Swinton. He told me about the idea for an AAU Football Program and that it would include ages 7 to 12. He hoped to pattern it after the one former NFL great Deion Sanders built in Dallas. He asked me to sit on the board. I didn’t hesitate with a commitment.

I said, ‘Yes’ the same reason the celebrities and gang of volunteers did. It’s hard to tell Swinton ‘No.’ He is one of the most genuine people you’ll meet. A fantastic athlete coming out of Little Rock Central in the 1990s, he didn’t have many scholarship offers.

A young head coach at Murray State, Nutt, a Central alum himself, gave Swinton a chance. Swinton became a star with the Racers hooking up with quarterback Mike Cherry, a Texarkana native, on touchdown after touchdown. Swinton set a school record with 136 career catches and 2,346 yards. Both marks still stand.

However, Swinton didn’t get drafted and failed to make the Jacksonville Jaguars roster in 1998. He had to prove himself in the CFL and with the fledgling Arena Football 2 team, Arkansas Twisters, to eventually get a shot with the Dallas Cowboys.

He carved out a niche as a dangerous return man, and led the Cowboys with 56 kickoff returns for 1,327 yards in 2001, both single-season club records. He played for Dallas from 2001 to 2003. He also played with Green Bay, Detroit, and Arizona before retiring.

Swinton worked hard making his dream come true. It took patience and perseverance and adversity not every player could endure. But that’s what is endearing about him. He is humble, funny and happy-go-lucky. Everyone around him, including NFL stars in the locker rooms he shared, wanted to see him complete his Cinderella run.

He has dabbled in business ventures and coached middle school football since returning to his hometown. Now, he is focused on serving as the AAU Football Director for Arkansas and growing the Lions.

He held tryouts in February and has been busy gathering sponsors and planning last weekend’s events. He is on target to have enough money to provide equipment for his teams that are comprised of 30 players each. There will be enough players for offensive and defensive starters and a handful of kids will play special teams and back up other positions.

His plan is meticulous, and he has more than 20 volunteer coaches on his staff, including some that played college football. Former Arkansas linebacker D.J. McClain serves as defensive coordinator.

The season kicks off March 26 with minicamp (Swinton has patterned it after the NFL) where kids will work out for three weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“We are going to use this as a forum to get the kids used to the fundamentals and system we are going to run,” Swinton said.

Play begins in July with a game against Sanders’ team in Little Rock followed by the Reggie Swinton Preseason AAU National Kickoff Tournament Aug. 10 and 11 in Little Rock. Teams from as far away as Delaware and New York are already committed.

The Lions plan to play in a tournament in Dallas or Atlanta in the fall and other local regular season games before heading to Orlando in December to end the season in the National AAU tournament. Included in the trip for the Lions is a visit to Disney World.

“I’m 37, and I’ve never been to Disney World,” he said. “I’m going to take my family. I want these kids to look back down the road and have good memories and say, ‘Coach Swinton took us to Disney World and gave us a great experience’.”

In addition to being a positive environment for kids to grow, the program will also shape tomorrow’s prep stars.

Swinton knew after years of covering prep football I’d pledge my time to help grow football talent. Prospects don’t just pop up. They have to be cultivated. Many that come out of the Lions program will have a head start as they start middle school. That will be key in ensuring the growth of football talent in the Little Rock area. That’s good for the kids, the prep programs and potentially the University of Arkansas and the state’s other collegiate programs.

A lot of work needs to be done before the Lions start producing D-I prospects, but Swinton laid the foundation this weekend. He proved he is serious about youth football and will pay the price, just like he did during his career, to ensure success.

For more information on signing up players for the program or getting your youth team registered for the tournament call Swinton at 501-413-6700 or visit www.arlionsaau.org.