UPDATED: Nov. 8, 2017 at 12:54 p.m.

Terry Swanson scanned Ball State’s defense. The Toledo running back’s eyes darted from the inside linebacker he would soon breeze by to the two safeties he would outpace before he fixated on his destination: the end zone.

The ball snapped and Swanson sprinted through the right A-gap, the space between the center and guard. Only turf separated him from the goal line. The 71-yard carry was the second-longest of his career and the highlight of Toledo’s 58-17 win on Oct. 26.

His longest run was two years ago, a 90-yarder against Eastern Michigan, when he wasn’t the focal point of the offense. It came when his best friend, Kareem Hunt, broke Toledo’s rushing records. When Swanson’s jersey number, No. 2, inadvertently represented his status on the depth chart.

“It’s hard to wait,” Swanson said. “but everybody has a different process they go through. I learned a lot behind (Hunt).”

Swanson, now a senior, is Toledo’s (8-1, 5-0 Mid-American) lead back with 844 rushing yards and 11 scores. This season he’s more than doubled both his average yards per game and touchdown total from 2016. His 3,082 career rushing yards places him seventh in the Rocket record books and he’s on pace to crack the top 4. Hunt, now an NFL Rookie of the Year candidate with the Kansas City Chiefs, sits atop the list with almost 5,000 yards. Throughout the three years they were at Toledo, the pair developed a friendship fueled by competition. Swanson attributed his success, in part, to learning from Hunt.

“Terry and I have a close relationship,” Hunt said. “… He’s coming along real fast. It makes me happy for him. I’m sure if I wasn’t there, he would’ve been the starter a long time ago.”

Swanson entered college used to sharing carries and learning from his teammates. In his last three years at Aliquippa (Pennsylvania) High School, Swanson split running back duties with Drayvon Askew-Henry, now a safety at West Virginia. The duo was called “Thunder and Lightning,” Pamela Swanson, Terry’s mother, said.

Hunt first noticed Swanson at a summer workout because of the latter’s calves. Big, solid calves that led to even bigger legs, Hunt recalled. The then-sophomore was surprised to see Swanson have a body that mirrored his own. This sparked a conversation between the two. They later realized that they also shared a birthday, Aug. 6. Swanson, a year younger, argued that it was his day and Hunt objected.

The competitions didn’t end there. The two would constantly play Madden, NBA 2k and Call of Duty to see who was better at video games. Swanson said he always won. In the weight room, they would see who could squat and bench more. Hunt said that Swanson is still chasing his records. Swanson concedes that Hunt can do more benching reps, but Swanson would win out in a wrestling match. Despite the competitive nature, both families came together for a Thanksgiving dinner twice.

“We brought out the best in each other,” Swanson said. “He taught me a lot football wise.”

On the field, the two terrorized opposing defenses. In Hunt’s final two years at Toledo, the pair lived together. After practice, they would review film and Hunt would show Swanson how to execute blocking schemes. In three seasons, the pair eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards twice.

Swanson dubbed the duo the “Justice League.” Hunt was Superman and Swanson was Batman. In 2015, while Hunt dealt with a hamstring injury, Swanson saw an increased role and tallied 923 yards and seven touchdowns. The effort was good for the all-conference second-team. The season worked as the foundation that Swanson looked to build on this year.

“I had to prepare myself and know that I would be the guy when Kareem came off the field,” Swanson said. “I’m the old head in the running back room now. Those guys can talk to me about football or life issues. I have Kareem to thank to be able to be ready for that experience.”

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, the space between a center and a guard was misnamed. The A-gap is the space between these positions. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on November 8, 2017 at 12:17 am

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