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Tre Swilling has owned plenty of New Orleans Saints stuff his whole life.
The Dome Patrol poster, featuring his dad and the greatest group of linebackers in NFL history, hung on his wall as a kid.
Saints jerseys. Saints cleats. Saints caps. You name it, Tre Swilling had it.
But Wednesday was different.
Swilling got a chance to don an actual Saints uniform, just like his dad Pat did in the 1980s and 1990s when he wreaked havoc on opponents.
“It’s like one of those pinch me moments,” Tre Swilling said. “It’s like a fairytale story. Now it’s up to me to put my work in.”
Tre Swilling, a New Orleans native who played defensive back at Brother Martin and then Georgia Tech, was signed to the New Orleans practice squad Tuesday. His father didn’t believe him when he first told him the news.
But 24 hours later, it began to sink in to Pat Swilling, a four-time All-Pro and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1991.
“It means the world to me,” Pat Swilling said. “It’s hard for your son to walk in your footsteps and get an opportunity in the NFL. There have been a few guys who have been fortunate to make it. But there are more guys whose kids don’t make it. So I’m just thankful he is getting this opportunity.”
Tre Swilling didn’t hear his name called in the 2022 draft. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans and spent the entire training camp and preseason with them. He was waived when the Titans made their final roster cuts, but he was hoping to at least land on their practice squad. He didn’t.
So Swilling, who earned his bachelor’s degree from Georgie Tech in 2020 and is just three classes shy of having a masters in building construction, had to wait to see what was next.
“I’ve always been a grinder,” Swilling said. “In this world of instant gratification, sometimes you have to realize that it’s a slower road, a slower process. It’s truly like a marathon, not a sprint.”
A piece of advice he got from Justin Franks, his defensive backs coach at Brother Martin, has stuck with him.
“It’s better to be prepared for opportunity that never comes than to be unprepared for opportunity that does come.”
His dad had advice, too: Be patient.
“He called me every day asking, ‘Dad, when do you think somebody is going to call?’ ” Pat Swilling said.
Turns out, he didn’t have to wait long. The Saints called him a week later, giving him the good news.
“I think my wife (Robin) cried for two hours straight,” Pat Swilling said.
Now dad has some more advice for his son.
“Work your ass off,” the elder Swilling said.
Tre Swilling now is on a team that is stacked in the secondary. It is the team’s deepest position group.
The versatile Swilling said he is willing to play whatever position the Saints need him to play, whether it be safety, cornerback, nickel or special teams.
“If they need me to hold on kicks, I’ll do that, too,” he said. “I’m trying to get out there.”
For now, he’s just thankful for the opportunity to play for the same team his dad played for. The Saints gear he gets to wear now isn’t as a fan. It’s now his work uniform. It’s a job he’s prepared for his whole life.
“I’ve been learning how to be a pro since I came out the womb,” Swilling said. “So I know what it takes and I just want to keep going. I’m just trying to keep my head down and not let the moment get too big.”
But still, there were times on the day of his first practice where it all felt like a dream.
“Being out there next to Tyrann (Mathieu), Marcus Maye, Marshon (Lattimore), guys I grew up watching, is really surreal,” he said. “I always wondered how it felt to be in (my dad’s) shoes. Now that I’m here, I truly get it.”
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