Bear Insider Video: Cal Frosh WR Meyer Swinney
If the name sounds familiar, it should. Cal early entry freshman wide receiver Meyer Swinney is the younger brother of Cal offensive lineman Bastian Swinney and a few years after his big bro arrived at Cal, his talented younger brother with an entirely different set of skillsets has joined the Bears as well.
Swinney had a big senior season for Edina High School in Edina, MN, hauling in 80 receptions for 1,263 yards and 17 touchdowns along with a rushing touchdown as a senior, choosing Cal over Miami, Iowa State, Kansas State and more.
"Cal was on my radar pretty early," Swinney said. "Initially, I didn't think they had as much interest as they did in me. But as you know, time started to go on and the interest started to pour in. And then I just knew it was home as soon as I got to campus."
Swinney is no stranger to Cal, having been on campus since a young middle school student when his brother Bastian was being recruited by Cal.
"Bastion's first unofficial visit to Cal, I was here,” Swinney noted. I came here with him. I was in eighth grade and I was gonna go into my freshman year the next year. So it was pretty fun coming here. It was just such a beautiful school. And, you know, I'd heard so much about Cal and the academics and I've been a Packers fan myself my whole life. And Aaron Rodgers is one of my favorite players, so I always aspired to go to Cal, same school as Aaron Rodgers, little pipeline, you know. It's just a great area, great coaching staff. It's just more like a family to me."
The 6-3 frosh has the type of frame that could potentially fill out to a pass receiving tight end but at a current 203, receiver is his path for the foreseeable future.
"Right now, I'm in the receiver room and however they want me to play, I'll play," Swinney noted. "I just want to do my best to get on the field."
The transition over the past six week has gone fairly smoothly for the new frosh receiver, as he puts his nose to the grindstone to do all his can to contribute as early as possible.
"It's been pretty good," the new receiver noted. "I'm working as hard as I can, getting in the swing of things. And just getting used to that college life, and also that college football player life, you know, the consistency every day in and day out in the weight room and on the field. The wide receiver room, it's like a brotherhood. We all trust each other. We all love each other. It's super fun. And I've known these guys for for a good amount of time now, since I've been around the program for a little bit."
Swinney arrived just a month after new receivers coach Kyle Cefalo, who joined the Bears right before their LA Bowl game vs. UNLV.
"I love Coach Cef," Swinney exclaimed. "He's great guy. He makes it feel like family, as well."
Swinney wasn’t only thinking about playing college football or joining his brother when he decided to commit to Cal. He was thinking of his future, as well.
"They bring up a lot of good points when you're coming to get recruited here, like there is a life after football," Swinney noted. "And with the academics here at Cal, that really sets up your life after football, whether, wit be in the business world or however you want to interpret that after football and I feel like that was just an opportunity that I couldn't pass up."
As for his spring practice goals with the start coming up in just three weeks?
"I'm looking forward to just improving as much as I can," Swinney said. "And just digging and scratching and clawing, trying to get my chance just leaving it all out there on the field and showing these fans and these coaches and my teammates and my family what I can really do."