Craig Swoope

{{Short description|American football player (born 1964)}}

{{Use American English|date=May 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Craig Swoope

| number = 41, 26

| position = Safety

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|02|03}}

| birth_place = Fort Pierce, Florida, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 205

| high_school = Westwood (Fort Pierce)

| college = Illinois

| draftyear = 1986

| draftround = 4

| draftpick = 83

| pastteams =

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|1986|1987}})
• Indianapolis Colts (1987-{{NFL Year|1988}})
• San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|1990}})*

| highlights =

• First-team All-American (1983)
• First-team All-Big Ten (1983)
• 3× Second-team All-Big Ten (1982, 1984, 1985)

| statlabel1 = Interceptions

| statvalue1 = 1

| statlabel2 = Fumble recoveries

| statvalue2 = 3

| statlabel3 = Sacks

| statvalue3 = 2.0

| pfr = SwooCr20

}}

Craig Avery Swoope (born February 3, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL).

Born and raised in Fort Pierce, Florida Swoope played scholastically at Westwood High School.{{cite web| url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SwooCr20.htm |title=Craig Swoope Stats |website=Pro Football Reference |access-date=May 31, 2024}} In 2008, his number 20 jersey was retired, together with Ryan McNeil's number 6 jersey, by Westwood.[http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/oct/04/by-laurel-pfahler] "Westwood retires McNeil and Swoope's jerseys". Accessed May 23, 2008

Swoope played collegiately for the University of Illinois,{{cite web| url=https://www.nfl.com/players/craig-swoope/ |title=Craig Swoope Stats |website=NFL.com |access-date=May 31, 2024}} where he was a four-time All-Big Ten selection for the Fighting Illini. As a sophomore, he was honored by the Newspaper Enterprise Association as a first-team All-American.{{cite news |title=The 1983 NEA All-America team |newspaper=The Republic (Columbus, Ind.) |date=November 30, 1983 |page=16 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4574799/1983_nea_allamerica_team/ |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}} As of 2009 he is third all-time on Illinois' career interceptions list.[http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072408aaa.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609134157/http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072408aaa.html|date=June 9, 2011}} Fightingillini.com. Accessed May 24, 2009.

Swoope was selected in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.{{Cite web |title=1986 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1986/draft.htm |access-date=October 2, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He began his rookie season as the Buccaneers' starter at strong safety, and was named to the Football Digest all-rookie team. Injuries limited his playing time late in the season, and he was moved to free safety the next year. He was placed on the injured reserve list without playing a game the next season, and was later waived from the injured reserve list.Steele, David. "Bucs cut Swoope, four others to get to 50". St. Petersburg Times. November 4, 1986

Signed by the Colts, he earned the starting job in the 1988 preseason, but dislocated an elbow in the season opener and missed four weeks of play. He lost his starting job on returning to the roster, but regained it after an injury to Freddie Robinson. Swoope recorded a career-high 11 tackles in the game in which Robinson was injured. Swoope's reckless, aggressive playing style is considered to have been responsible for the injuries that shortened his playing career.Dolch, Craig. "Swoope's career back on upswing". The Palm Beach Post. December 3, 1988 He was cut by the Colts at the end of the 1989 preseason.Wire services. "Transactions". September 7, 1988Wire services. "Transactions". The New York Times. September 5, 1989