Aztecs part of Swain's world

By: TOM SHANAHAN - For the North County Times | Thursday, September 20, 2007 11:20 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- Some kids fell in love with San Diego State football in the early 1990s watching Marshall Faulk run wild for yardage in his all-black ninja uniform.

And then there's SDSU senior wide receiver Brett Swain, who admits to a different image hooking him on the Aztecs.

It was the 2000 season and Swain was still a sophomore at Carlsbad High.

Then-Aztecs quarterback Jack Hawley was hit scrambling for the end zone against Illinois.

"I'm a little young for Marshall Faulk, but my dad (Steve) brought me to games when I was younger, and there was always something I liked about San Diego State and games at Qualcomm," Swain said "I remember Jack Hawley was going for the goal line. It was the 'Dixieline laying the lumber hit of the game.' I don't know why, but something stuck with me, and I wanted to be an Aztec."

He did even though the Aztecs were late to recruit him during an All-CIF senior season at Carlsbad. And schools such as UCLA continued to recruit him until he signed his national letter-of-intent.

In his time on Montezuma Mesa, Swain has emerged as the Aztecs' most consistent receiver.

He led the team in receptions last year and has duplicated that feat so far as the Aztecs (0-2) play their home opener against Portland State (1-2) Saturday night.

Aztecs head coach Chuck Long said Swain is dependable because he maintains his routes ---- the mark of a possession receiver.

"You don't want to hurry your routes, because that gives it away to the defense," Long said. "Everything is about getting back on your vertical stem; getting straight again. When they knock you off your path, how fast can you get straight again? He does that very well."

In the season opener, Swain caught four balls for 46 yards against Washington State. He grabbed six more for 66 against Arizona State. He topped 1,000 career yards with last week's performance (85 catches, 1,032 yards, three touchdowns).

As a junior, he led the team with 47 catches for 528 yards and two touchdowns despite playing half the season with a thumb injury that required surgery after the final game.

"I've been working this year on catching the ball and getting up field this year," Swain said. "It was hard for me last year, because I was trying to secure the ball first. But this year I've been working on the YAC (yards after catch)."

Aztecs note

Coach Chuck Long said senior WR Chaz Schilens will have a bone scan to determine if he has a stress fracture in his injured foot. A decision on whether he will play against Portland State might not be made until pregame warmups Saturday. "The X-ray didn't show anything, so we'll go a step further with the bone scan," Long said.

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