Pretty impresive article on Swayne and the player dev office

[papasmurfbell]

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-08-17/sports/bs-sp-ravens-harry-swayne-0818-20130817_1_ravens-players-ray-rice-harry-swayne

 

 

Off the field, Harry Swayne is the guide for Ravens players

For Ravens players, Harry Swayne's office is unavoidable.

It sits a couple of yards from a side entrance to the locker room and almost directly across from the lounge where players watch television, get haircuts or take naps during rare down time amid the NFL grind.

Swayne played 15 years in the NFL and has four Super Bowl rings, but his work space, aside from mementos and a Ray Rice figurine in the center of his desk, more resembles the office of a high school guidance counselor than a long-time football man.

A poster of the Ravens' college graduates hangs over his desk. Information on post-playing career opportunities and important phone numbers are displayed prominently. Motivational and spiritual messages dot the room, along with pictures of Swayne's wife and five kids.

"I might be the only one in the building — at least on the football side — that doesn't care as much about how they play on Sundays," Swayne said. "I'm more concerned with how they react to how they play on Sundays."

Swayne is 48 years old and 55 pounds lighter than he was during a playing career that included a stint at starting right tackle on the Ravens' Super Bowl XXXV team. These days, he is in his fourth year as the Ravens' director of player development, a role that calls for Swayne to build relationships not only with players, coaches, team executives and their families, but also with corporate sponsors and business and community leaders.

It's a tireless, yet rewarding job that has come under scrutiny recently with the slew of offseason arrests of NFL players, most notably the murder charge against former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez. The arrests, including one involving linebacker Rolando McClain, who retired less than a month after joining the Ravens, have spurred questions about the level of responsibility NFL teams have in recognizing and preventing destructive off-the-field behavior.

Swayne didn't comment on individual cases, but he was more than willing to address what he feels is the biggest misconception about player development directors.

"If there is a problem off the field with players — and there always is and always has been — [people say] what's going on with player development?" Swayne said. "One thing we are not is behaviorists. In my line of work and this is for all 32 player engagement directors, we don't babysit 20-something-year-olds. They are going to do what 20-something-year-olds do across all cultural groups, across this whole country. Their parents can't keep them from going out and doing some stupid stuff. Certainly, the player development director isn't going to be able to either.

"But in that same respect, what we are is proactive individuals who like to approach things where it puts us out in front of some cloudy decisions before they even get an opportunity to make a bad choice. All 32 player engagement directors kind of have that approach."

Wearing many hats

Swayne returned to the Ravens in 2008 as the caregiver to his former teammate O.J. Brigance, the Ravens executive who is fighting Lou Gehrig's disease. Now, he's the guy who usually sits closest to potential draft picks when Ravens officials are interviewing them, trying to determine whether the prospect has the types of characteristics the organization is seeking in its players. He's the guy whose opinion is sought by everyone from owner Steve Bisciotti to general manager Ozzie Newsome to coach John Harbaugh to star players like Rice. He's the guy who along with Brigance helped develop and maintain a four-tiered player development program that is regarded in league circles as one of the NFL's best.

That program focuses on continuing education, financial education, player assistance services and transitions to post-NFL life.

"People ask if I can give them information, what should the structure look like, how much involvement should this individual have, who should they report to. I just tell them, 'I'd like for you to speak to Harry Swayne, who is in Baltimore.' That's the winning model," said Troy Vincent, the 15-year NFL cornerback who runs the NFL Player Engagement Organization. "He has it all. He's the benchmark."

On any given day, Swayne will help a Ravens rookie enroll in classes to get him closer to finishing his degree, field a call from the wife of one of the team's newer players about living in the area, edit the resume of a former Raven looking to break into the business world, and talk to a business leader about whether his company has any internship opportunities available for players.

 

 

[colincac]

Why am I surprised that we are the best at this as well? So fortunate to be a fan of such a class organization from top-to-bottom.

[RavenMad]

This really doesn't surprise me either. The Biscuit made his money in putting the right personnel in the right positions to succeed. It was only natural that he would continue that form when he bought the Ravens.

 

It makes me proud to always see our front office personnel and coaching staff being linked with jobs around the league every offseason as, along with only a handful of teams, we are seen as the benchmark in so many areas.

[varaven45]

Good stuff !!

[oldno82]

Bisciotti is a first class guy who cares about people.

[vmax]

Bisciotti is a first class guy who cares about people.

 

He really does care. He called Ed Reed, Kruger, Ellerbe etc. as they were picked up by other teams and congratulated them for advancing in this business.

He was happy for them and truly wished them well....unlike crav....

[cravnravn]

 

He really does care. He called Ed Reed, Kruger, Ellerbe etc. as they were picked up by other teams and congratulated them for advancing in this business.

He was happy for them and truly wished them well....unlike crav....

Kruger & Ellerbee I can see, Ed Greed, I dont think Steve called him, I think he texted him...."WTF, how many paydays do you want' and then he followed it up with "We all know about your hip, Good luck with that"