(Photo: Connor Gleason/WCSN)
TEMPE — Few moments in life sting like rejection. Parents spend years preparing their children for it, whether it’s a first heartbreak or the letter from a dream school that doesn’t begin with “Congratulations.”
In 1997, Pete Swanson, an offensive guard from Stanford, endured seven rounds of the NFL Draft without hearing his name called. Across his career, he bounced between five rosters and was cut numerous times. At one point, he even hopped across the Atlantic, landing with the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe, helping the club win a World Bowl championship.
Nearly three decades after the 1997 NFL Draft, Pete’s son, Zac, thought he’d stay at Texas for the 2024 season. But the Longhorns’ staff delivered a message that remains etched in his memory:
“If you want to stay at Texas, you might as well quit football and just go to school here.”
Now in his fifth year of collegiate football, Swanson is playing his third season at Arizona State. What he was told shaped the next chapter of his career.
“I’ve always used that in the back of my head as motivation,” Swanson said. “I was upset at the time, but it doesn’t affect me as much now. I’m in a place I’d much rather be.”
A four-star recruit out of high school, Swanson drew interest from multiple programs, including ASU. Ultimately, the Sun Devils didn’t make his top four — Texas, USC, Oregon and Kentucky.
Because his father is a Cardinal alumnus, Swanson grew up a Stanford fan and dreamed of playing in Palo Alto. The offer never came.
“I used to love Stanford,” Swanson said. “Now I don’t really care for it at all, but (Pete’s) still a huge Stanford fan.”
When Swanson transferred to ASU, it felt like a homecoming. His parents met through mutual friends at the Phoenix Open, and he and his three sisters grew up in the Valley, where he attended Brophy College Preparatory.
Dating back to his days at Brophy, injuries have been part of Swanson’s journey. Each setback tested him, yet he always found a way back.
As a sophomore, Swanson’s first varsity season was cut short by a hand injury after just four games. Years later, he appeared in all 13 games during his first season with the Sun Devils despite a nagging shoulder injury.
That persistence runs in the family; Pete underwent four shoulder surgeries and one on his foot during his playing career.
“He’s near me, so I go talk to him a lot when I’m hurt,” Swanson said. “He’s been a huge help in the aspect of getting back into the game and instilled a lot of confidence in me.”
In April 2025, Swanson broke his foot when a teammate fell on his leg during practice. Though limited by the injury, he still managed 27 defensive snaps, down from the 261 he logged a year earlier.
Six games into the 2026 season, Swanson has remained healthy. His six pressures are tied for the fifth-most on ASU’s defense. When he’s not on the field, he’s hyping up teammates and cracking jokes, a role he was forced into more often in 2025.
“He’s in there and he’s making plays,” Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “It’s really cool to watch a local guy have the success he’s having in his hometown after the setback he had last year.”
Earlier this year, Swanson’s sister, Lainey, found herself at a similar crossroads. She was entering her second year with TCU soccer after graduating from Xavier College Preparatory, located within walking distance of her brother’s high school.
During the offseason, the Horned Frogs told her to leave the team. She became the second Swanson to hear that from a school in the Lone Star State.
“The coaches told her she wasn’t going to be good enough,” Swanson said. “My dad and mom really worked together on helping her get through that because she struggled with it a little bit more than I did.”
Lainey found herself back in her home state after transferring, much like her brother did. Unlike him, though, she landed at Arizona. The rivalry might divide their schools, but it hasn’t changed their relationship.
As for their parents, they’ve found a way to balance cheering for both ASU and the Wildcats. When the two teams meet on the gridiron, they want the Sun Devils to win. When they meet on the pitch, they’re cheering for Arizona.
“If there was somehow a way that the ASU football team scrimmaged the U of A girls soccer team, then maybe they would split it down the middle,” Swanson said. “But I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Neither Pete nor Amanda Swanson could have anticipated their children would encounter the same rejection. But when the moment came, both were ready to guide them through it.
For Pete, going undrafted and fighting for roster spots gave him a roadmap to help Zac and Lainey navigate their own disappointments. Over time, the former offensive lineman became more than a father.
He became a mentor.
“He went through a lot of hard stuff as well,” Swanson said. “When I was little, he was always one of the coaches. It was really nice growing up and being able to pick his brain.”
