Swinton attended Central High School and received All-State honors in football, basketball, baseball and track. He received a scholarship to play college football for Murray State University under head coach Houston Nutt. He was the first Murray State player to amass more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season and was selected All-Ohio Valley Conference and second-team Division I-AAAll-American in 1996. As a senior, he finished with 35 receptions for 642 yards. From 1994 to 1997, he established the school records for career receptions, career receiving yards and single-season receiving yards. He is second in career touchdowns.
Professional career
Swinton was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars after the 1998 NFL Draft on May 21. He was waived on August 25. His pro career began in February 1999 in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts, who in March traded him along with quarterbackKerwin Bell to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in exchange for Eric Blount, wide receiver Mitch Running and two players on Winnipeg's negotiation list. The Blue Bombers signed him on July 13, only to be released on August 2. He was re-signed on August 9 and cut again on August 16. During his time with the team he ranked 10th in the CFL in kickoff returns with a 25.8-yard average and one touchdown. On September 13, 1999, he signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL, but was released on October 12. In 2000, he went to training camp with the Seattle Seahawks, but was cut before the start of the season on August 27. In 2001, he signed with the Las Vegas Outlaws of the XFL and was cut in April. He resurfaced that same year with the Arkansas Twisters of the AF2, who initially released him only to re-sign him after the fourth game of the season. Swinton led the team and set franchise records with 85 receptions for 1,463 yards and 33 touchdowns in 13 games. His offensive coordinator with the Twisters recommended him to the Dallas Cowboys, who in turn would sign him in August 2001. Swinton made the team and set single-season club records for kickoff returns, kickoff return yards, and combined kick return yards. His 13.7-yard average on punt returns ranked third in the NFL and second in the NFC, and his 23.7-yard average on kickoff returns was ninth in the NFL and seventh in the NFC. Even though he was not given punt return duties until week 7, his 414 punt return yards were the seventh most in club history and tied the mark combined kick returns. This production earned him second-team All-Pro honors from College and Pro Football Newsweekly as a punt returner. In 2002, after missing the first two games with a hamstring strain, against the Philadelphia Eagles he broke the franchise record with 231 kickoff return yards in a game and ranked third in team history with 215 combined return yards. His 24.9-yard average on kickoff returns ranked tenth in the NFL. He averaged 7.4 yards on punt returns. On September 29, 2003, he was traded to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick, in order to groom rookie Zuriel Smith for the returner role. After being declared inactive for a week-5 game, he was cut on October 9, 2003. Swinton was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions, to replace Eddie Drummond who suffered a sprained knee and ankle against the Minnesota Vikings. He finished the season averaging 13.8 yards on punt returns, fourth-best in the NFL. He also was one of only two players in the league to have both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown that season. On September 5, 2004, he was released by the Lions, but was re-signed on September 20 after Drummond was lost for the season with a shoulder injury. In 2004, he averaged 22.8 yards on kickoff returns and 6.5 yards on punt returns, and had his best year as a receiver, catching 18 passes for 410 yards. On April 19, 2005, he signed as a free agent with the Houston Texans and was waived on September 3. On September 5, he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals, where as the team's primary kick returner he averaged 23.1 yards on kickoff returns and 8.0 yards on punt returns, after a hamstring and toe injury limited him during the season. He wasn't re-signed at the end of the year. Swinton finished with four career NFL kick returns for touchdowns: two on punt returns and two on kickoff returns.
Personal life
On September 17, 2012, he was named Amateur Athletic Union Football Sports Director Of Arkansas. Swinton has a blended family and is married to Patricia Walker-Swinton. They have four children: Craig Steele, Sydney Steele, Ryan Swinton, and Reggie Swinton, II.
