Freddie Swain receives call from QB Russell Wilson after Seahawks pick
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After getting the call from the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, Florida wide receiver Freddie Swain heard from the franchise's star quarterback, Russell Wilson.
The Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro Bowl selection hit up Swain shortly after he was drafted by the Seahawks with the 214th overall pick in Round 6.
"I just got off the phone with him," Swain said on his NFL Draft conference call. "Russell Wilson is one of the best in the league and I think he goes out every week and he proves that. He came in with a chip on his shoulder and he just plays with a passion. I think it will be pretty good for us."
Swain said he's looking forward to catches passes from Wilson and trying to carve out a role for himself as a rookie. Seattle has a deep receiving corps, but that doesn't intimidate him.
"It’s motivating," he said. "For someone like me, I like challenges. I like being an underdog. So any time I can compete with a great group of guys, I just feel like we’ll just fit in well and it brings the intensity in the room up."
That's what happened during his senior season, when the Gators had one of their most productive and talented WR groups in school history. The competition brought out the best in Swain, who set career-highs in receptions (38), yards (517) and touchdowns (7).
"My senior year we had eight, nine different guys that can play and go somewhere else and actually start," Swain said. "We just came in and guys weren't selfish. Whenever the ball came, we just made plays on it and we were happy for each other. So I think that right there, just the bond that we had as a unit, I think that's what led to my success."
Swain was one of three Florida receivers drafted, the most for the program since 1978. Seahawks general manager John Schneider is a fan of Swain's mental makeup and expects him to make an immediate impact in the return game.
"First and foremost, he's a really, really tough-minded individual," Schneider said of Swain. "Tons of grit, very instinctive. He's played outside, he's played inside, he's a very good punt returner. I would say from a special teams standpoint, he's going to be a guy that's going to be in the mix right away. He's just got a great attitude about him. He's got some swag about him. He's a smart football player, he's a competitor. He's going to be a fun guy to watch and we're very excited."
Swain is the first UF player drafted by the Seahawks since 2012 (Jaye Howard) and the first Gators WR since Darrell Jackson in 2000. Jackson, a first-team All-SEC selection, had a 9-year NFL career and finished with 499 catches, 7,132 yards and 51 TDs.