Lynn Swann facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lynn Swann

Swann in 2005
No. 88
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1952-03-07) March 7, 1952 (age 73) Alcoa, Tennessee, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school:	Junípero Serra (San Mateo, California)
College:	USC (1970–1973)
NFL Draft:	1974 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21
Career history
As player:
Pittsburgh Steelers (1974–1982)
As administrator:
Pittsburgh Power (2011–2014) Co-owner USC (2016–2019) Athletic director
Career highlights and awards
4× Super Bowl champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV) Super Bowl MVP (X) NFL Man of the Year (1981) First-team All-Pro (1978) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1975, 1977) 3× Pro Bowl (1975, 1977, 1978) NFL receiving touchdowns co-leader (1975) NFL 1970s All-Decade Team PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team (1974) Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor Pittsburgh Pro Football Hall of Fame National champion (1972) Consensus All-American (1973) Pop Warner Trophy (1973) First-team All-Pac-8 (1973)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 336 Receiving yards: 5,462 Receiving touchdowns: 51
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Lynn Curtis Swann (born March 7, 1952) is a famous American former football player. He is best known for playing as a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Swann also worked as a sports broadcaster, was involved in politics, and served as an athletic director for a university.

He is considered one of the greatest wide receivers of his time. With the Steelers, Swann won four Super Bowls. He was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Super Bowl X. Swann was honored by being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He also joined the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Early Life and School

Lynn Swann was born on March 7, 1952, in Alcoa, Tennessee. When he was two years old, his family moved to San Mateo, California. He grew up in Foster City, California.

Swann went to Junípero Serra High School. There, he was not only a football player but also a track star. He was very good at the long jump. In 1970, he won the state championship in long jump. He even beat future Olympic gold medalist Randy Williams.

College Football Career

Swann attended the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. He played football for the Trojan football team. His coach was John McKay.

In 1972, Swann was part of the undefeated USC team that won the national championship. Coach McKay praised Swann for his speed, soft hands, and graceful playing style. Swann earned a degree in public relations in 1974.

• In 1971, he caught 27 passes for 305 yards.
• In 1972, he had 27 catches for 543 yards.
• In 1973, he caught 42 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns.

Professional Football Career

The Pittsburgh Steelers picked Lynn Swann in the first round of the 1974 NFL draft. He was the 21st player chosen overall. The Steelers' 1974 draft class is famous because it included four future Hall of Famers: Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster.

Swann played his entire NFL career with the Steelers. He wore jersey number 88. In his first year, 1974, he led the NFL in punt-return yards. He helped the Steelers win their first championship in Super Bowl IX.

Swann waving the Terrible Towel

The 1975 season was a highlight for Swann. He caught 49 passes for 781 yards. He also led the league with 11 touchdowns. In Super Bowl X, Swann made four catches for a Super Bowl record 161 yards. He scored a touchdown, helping the Steelers win 21–17 against the Dallas Cowboys. Swann became the first wide receiver to be named Super Bowl MVP.

Swann with Steelers fans in 2006

Three seasons later, in 1978, the Steelers reached Super Bowl XIII. Swann caught seven passes for 124 yards. He scored the final touchdown in Pittsburgh's 35–31 win over Dallas.

The Steelers returned to the Super Bowl in 1979 for Super Bowl XIV. Swann caught five passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. Pittsburgh won 31–19 against the Los Angeles Rams. Overall, Swann had 364 receiving yards in his four Super Bowls. This was a Super Bowl record at the time.

Swann retired after the 1982 season. He had won four Super Bowl rings. In his nine-year career, he had 336 catches for 5,462 yards and 51 touchdowns. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl three times. He was also named to the National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team.

Swann believed his early experience in dance helped him on the football field. He even appeared on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood to talk about it. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

NFL Statistics

Life After Football

After retiring from football, Lynn Swann became a sports broadcaster for ABC Sports. He worked there from 1976 to 2006. He covered many major events, including:

• The Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics
• College football
• Monday Night Football
• The Kentucky Derby

Swann also briefly hosted the TV game show To Tell the Truth from 1990 to 1991. He even made guest appearances on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

In 2010, Swann became part of the ownership team for the Pittsburgh Power. This was an Arena Football League (AFL) team. The team played from 2011 to 2014 before it folded. Swann also appeared as a sideline reporter in the 1998 movie The Waterboy.

In 2016, Swann was named the athletic director for the University of Southern California. He held this important role until 2019.

Political Involvement

Lynn Swann and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson

Leading the Fitness Council

On June 20, 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Lynn Swann as the chairman of the United States President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. This council works to encourage Americans to be more active and healthy.

Swann and President Bush launched programs like "presidentschallenge.org" to help people stay active. They also started the "National Physical Fitness and Sports" month in May. Swann left this role in 2005 to explore other opportunities.

Running for Governor

Swann (right) signing an autograph for a Marine Corps Sgt. Charles Heller

In 2006, Lynn Swann decided to run for Governor of Pennsylvania. He was the candidate for the Republican Party. He chose Jim Matthews as his running mate.

Swann's campaign focused on improving public transportation, property taxes, and law enforcement. He also wanted to help the Pittsburgh Penguins build a new arena. In the election, Swann lost to the current governor, Ed Rendell. He received 40% of the votes. If Swann had won, he would have been the first African American Governor of Pennsylvania.

Personal Life

Lynn Swann married Bernadette Robi in 1979. They later divorced in 1983. In 1991, he married Charena Shaffer, who is a psychologist. They have two sons who also played college football.

See also

• Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
• Drew Crompton