LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Illinois State senior defensive end Matt Swaine recently completed his football career with the Redbirds in a season that was full of physical and emotional challenges. As a result, Swaine was honored with one of four Mental Toughness Awards, one of several honors presented at the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter Awards Ceremony Monday evening at Halas Hall.
The National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter started presenting the Mental Toughness Award in 2012, with the first two honors going to Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa and Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish. Swaine is the sixth Redbird player to be honored with the award, following in the footsteps of Pat Meehan (2014), Dion Starnes (2015), Brent Spack (2016), Jamal Towns (2017) and Erik Mikkelson (2018).
Swaine was nominated by ISU head coach Brock Spack for his perseverance through emotional and physical struggles during his final season with the Redbirds. The Rochester, Illinois, native saw action in all 11 games in 2018 despite working his way back from an off-season shoulder surgery and playing with a cast on his hand to protect an injury for the majority of the season. After the completion of his senior season, Swaine also received ISU's Fred Cleland Award, given to the player that has shown inspiration and strength throughout the season. He finished his career with 73 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 14.5 TFL in 43 games played from 2015-18.
He accepted the award and shared it with his younger brother, Britton, who is currently battling cancer and going through treatments to beat Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Swaine also mentioned the support he received from his teammates, coaches and staff at Illinois State and how important it was in keeping his spirits up, helping him be strong for his family and be a leader on the defensive line for the Redbirds.
The annual event recognizes the dedication and hard work of high school and collegiate football standouts. Among the attendees were Football Hall of Famer and Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald and Chicago Bears six-time NFL Pro Bowl center Olin Kruetz. Fitzgerald and emcee Jeff Joniak ended the evening with a sit-down chat, where the 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year gave advice to the players, coaches and families in attendance.
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