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COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- One of the last of a rare breed, Grant
Swallows was a two-sport letterwinner at Tennessee Tech. A six-time
letterwinner (four in football and two in baseball) and a former
senior administrator at Tennessee Tech, Grant left his mark on
Tennessee Tech Athletics in more than one capacity.
It was his four solid seasons as Golden Eagle quarterback that
earned him a spot among Tech’s Hall of Fame inductees.
Swallows is one of four people who will be inducted at the annual
Hall of Fame Dinner, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 2, in the
Multipurpose Room of the Roaden University Center. The induction
dinner is part of Homecoming festivities. Tickets for the dinner,
or the Saturday afternoon game against Eastern Illinois, can be
purchased through the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center or by
calling (931) 372-3940.
A three-year starter under head coach Mike Hennigan, Swallows
reaped numerous awards and honors as one of the most distinguished
quarterbacks in TTU history. Over the course of his career on the
gridiron, Swallows broke 16 career, season and single-game
records.
During his final season at Tech in 2001, Swallows set the school
record for most completions in a season, most yards in a single
game and a single season, and most touchdown passes in a single
game. Furthermore, he set the record for TD passes in a single
season and for overall touchdowns responsible for.
In a game against UT Martin, Swallows logged an 86.9 completion
percentage against UT Martin, going 20-for-23, to establish yet
another school record.
For his efforts during that season, Swallows was named one of
three permanent team captains and was awarded the Robert Hill
Johnson Award and the Sonny Allen Leadership Award, as well as the
2001 Headliner Award. An All-OVC second-team honoree and an
Academic All-District honoree, he was the OVC Player of the Week
for three consecutive weeks.
The following spring, Swallows became the first TTU
student-athlete to be named both Male Athlete of the Year and Man
of the Year. He was also the recipient of the 2002 OVC Steve
Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
award and was one of eight recipients nationally to receive the
NCAA Freedom Forum Foundation Journalism Scholarship.
Swallows was also given the opportunity to play professional
football overseas in Germany, but an injury ended his playing
career.
As a junior. Swallows led the Golden Eagle football team to an 8-3
overall record and was named Academic All-America. When football
was finished, he moved across campus to play on the baseball team
and helped lead Tech to the OVC championship and NCAA Regional. A
third baseman, he played in 33 games.
Swallows earned his bachelor's degree in 2003 in
English-journalism, being named to the Athletic Director’s
Honor Roll 10 times and the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll
four times.
After returning from Germany, Swallows moved from the playing
field to the sidelines, serving as a student assistant coach at his
alma mater beginning in 2002.
In 2003, Swallows was named assistant football and baseball
coach at Livingston Academy, and began work toward a master’s
degree. He claimed that degree in 2005, and added an Ed.S. in
2006.
Also in 2006, he came back to Tech to serve as quarterbacks coach
under interim coach Doug Malone, helping freshman Lee Sweeney earn
OVC Newcomer of the Year honor.
That led to his being named head football coach and assistant
principal at Livingston Academy in 2007, but in 2008 he once again
came back to Cookeville, taking the position of Associate Athletics
Director for Development.
His latest career move came in July 2011, as Grant was named
principal at White County High School in Sparta.
Grant married Beth Ann Johnson, his college sweetheart, and the couple is raising their two children -- Brady (5) and Anniston (3).