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Jordan-Swilling talks about the late-career switch to RB

Georgia Tech running back Bruce Jordan-Swilling spent the first three years of his college career playing linebacker on the Flats aiming to follow in the footsteps of his father former Tech legend Pat Swilling. After a serious injury last season, Jordan-Swilling decided he wanted to carve out his own path for his final season as a Yellow Jacket. He swapped with teammate Jerry Howard and Jordan-Swilling became a running back and Howard a linebacker.

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For Jordan-Swilling, the opportunity to play running back in the new-look Tech offense was too tempting to turn down and was something he was interested in even last year.

"So you know last year I played linebacker and this year coach (Andrew) Thacker called me up one morning and he really gave me the opportunity to play running back you know I just take it," he said.

Jordan-Swilling played running back throughout his high school career and was a prized recruit at that position as well as linebacker. After three years-plus years away from toting the rock, he said it was time to get back to what he was good at.

"Probably it was more about missing touching the ball. I wanted to be a superstar. You know, I like being in the spotlight. And as a defensive player, you don't really get that unless you know, you just the man so you know, I think it was more of me missing a ball missing being in the spotlight," he said with a smile.

In high school, Jordan-Swilling was just physically dominating as a running back due to his size and speed, but things are a lot more equal in college so there are more techniques and other pieces of the puzzle he has to work on.

"Now just trying to keep my pads down low and I'm not a linebacker so I have to learn all the plays and you know, just being able to run the ball again. I just have to keep improving and keep working," he said. "I actually lost a lot of weight to slim down just soggy you know, feel good, better comfortable running, running the ball, you know, getting in a hole and just being comfortable again. That's just kind of my main focus right now."

In the Miami game last year, Jordan-Swilling suffered a Lisfranc injury that often sidelines players for a year, but he has bounced back very quickly compared to other former Jackets who suffered the same injury in recent years.

"I had a torn Lisfranc and I'm back now and 100-percent and now I'm just ready to work," he said. "Shout out to my trainers Mark Smith and Eric (Avila). You know, they just kept me in there with the rehab and you know, they got me back on the field."

Jordan-Swilling was in the best shape of his career last year playing linebacker at 225-pounds and he has slimmed down to 220 now post-injury with a reshaping of his body to play running back. He said the rehab was all about effort and trying to get back to where he wanted to be from a physical standpoint.

"I think it is just something that I've worked on in offseason when I was doing my rehab just being able to be explosive," Jordan-Swilling said of getting his burst back. "And you know, just coming on and giving it all I got."

With Jordan Mason, Jamious Griffin and Dontae Smith all heavily in the mix and true freshman Jahmyr Gibbs arriving this fall, Jordan-Swilling says the competition will be fierce for playing time this fall.

"You know, just keep working out. I don't want to say I'm going to separate myself. But we all have family in that room. So you know, I just got to keep working and encouraging the younger guys," he said.

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