Pat Swilling

Patrick Travis Swilling (born October 25, 1964 in Toccoa, Georgia) is a former American football linebacker in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and a delegate in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He earned five Pro Bowl appearances.

College career
Swilling played for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Swilling set the NCAA record for sacks in a game, with seven against North Carolina State and the Georgia Tech mark for sacks in a season (15). Voted first-team All-America in 1985, Swilling left Georgia Tech as the all time sack leader and now ranks 5th.

Professional career
The New Orleans Saints fielded fierce defenses in 1991 and 1992, led by one of the best linebacker units in the history of the league. In 1991, Swilling had 17 sacks and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. In 1992, linebackers Rickey Jackson, Vaughan Johnson, Sam Mills, and Swilling, also known as the Dome Patrol, all played in the Pro Bowl, and the Saints led the league in quarterback sacks. Despite its tenacious defense, the team lost in the first round each time it made the playoffs.

Swilling was traded to the Detroit Lions in 1993 for draft picks. In order to sign Swilling Detroit had to "unretire" the legendary Joe Schmidt’s number 56. In his first year with Detroit he made it to his fifth and final Pro Bowl. The Detroit Lions qualified for the playoffs in both of Swilling's seasons with the team, being eliminated each time, in the first round, by the Green Bay Packers. Swilling finished his career with 107.5 sacks.

Swilling lost all six playoff games he played in; no other player in NFL history has more losses without a win.

Personal life
Swilling was elected to the Louisiana State House of Representatives from New Orleans in 2001 and served one term. He had stated an interest in seeking the position of sheriff of Orleans Parish.

On April 30, 2009, Swilling was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. He is currently a real estate developer in New Orleans. His son, Pat Swilling, Jr. received a full-ride scholarship to play basketball at Saint Joseph's University, but left the team and university on February 19, 2011 after being suspended from the team.