Derius Swinton II attributes his special teams career path to Tom McMahon.
After spending two seasons as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee, Swinton was hired by the St. Louis Rams as a quality control coach. McMahon, who was the Rams special teams coordinator at the time, handpicked Swinton to take under his wing.
“He said, ‘I want you,’” Swinton recalled. “He hired me right away, and I dove in. I had no clue what I was getting myself into. Once I was in it, I fell in love with it. It’s an aspect of the game that doesn’t get a lot of glitz and glamour, but you’re a vital part of the game when you do it the right way.