When Indiana graduate transfer defensive lineman Jovan Swann made his visit to Bloomington back in December, he knew that Tom Allen’s program would be the best match for him to conclude his college football career.
“I met some of the guys during bowl prep and I felt right at home,” Swann said in Thursday’s media availability session. “Nobody had a big ego, everyone was working for the common goal, and that was something that I wanted to embrace and bring into my game.”
That common goal is winning. Since earning playing time while with Stanford, Swann was part of two Cardinal teams that won nine games (2017, 2018). Across his 39 games and 19 career starts for the Cardinal, Swann finished with 85 tackles (49 solo), 18.5 tackles for loss, and 11.5 sacks.
Meanwhile, Indiana is coming off an eight-win season, a mark the program reached for the first time since 1993.
“When Jovan [Swann] walks into the room, I know I’m definitely not the smartest guy in the room,” defensive linemen coach Kevin Peoples said. “He comes to work just like a pro would. He’s taking notes, he’s studying, he’s been in big games. Having that guy in the room has been a huge benefit for us.”
It wasn’t just Peoples that praised his intelligence— some of his teammates echoed the same message.
“The first day he came in, you could see his big stature. His football IQ is off the chain,” junior defensive lineman James Head Jr. said. “Whenever something is on the screen that he could see, he will let me know. His football IQ has been helpful for me all of the time.”
"He brings that professional mindset... he's going hard everyday," senior defensive lineman Michael Ziemba added. "He's a pro, he's doing his job everyday. He's good."
After an offseason of unknowns and a hiatus from football preparation during the summer, Swann is finally starting to get comfortable into the type of defense Indiana is accustomed to scheming under head football coach Tom Allen and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack.
“I took in the coaching points, honed in on the little things and I am taking it one play at a time. I was stressing out trying to be a dominant player up front in a 4-3 base defense,” Swann said. “I was trying to be that guy on day one, but I know that it is a process. I tried to slow things down for myself.”
Off the field, Swann looks to continue his education in the Kelley School of Business MBA program. By suiting up for the Hoosiers this year, Swann continues the family lineage of playing college football for the Hoosiers. His brother, Mario, played safety for the Hoosiers from 2013-15.
Back on the field, however, Swann knows that for Indiana to be a force against an all-Big Ten schedule in 2020, the team must focus on being fundamentally sound, and getting the small things right.
“I have played a lot of football, but I also have to learn from the guys that have played a lot of football here,” Swann said. “At the end of the day, it is just X's and O's. If I can demonstrate that it is not more than just playing your technique at a high level, it will be simpler from the top down.”
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