Feb. 4, 2002
By Ken Kleppel
Senior Harold Swanagan has quite the knack for making things happen.
Whether it is setting a pick to free up a teammate’s jumper or spending time with those in need of care, Swanagan can launch a rally both on and off the court.
Just ask the youngsters of “There Are Children Here,” a year-round day camp for inner-city South Bend youth ages four to 12. Founded by Notre Dame professor Jim Langford, and his wife Jill, through the conviction that Catholic social justice requires care for those less fortunate, “There Are Children Here” has hosted over 3,700 child visits and 1,800 volunteer stints at the camp in its eight-year history.
But few volunteers can match Swanagan’s impact on the program’s youth. From playing basketball, to talking with and listening to the children, Swanagan’s influence is far-reaching.
“I can’t think of a better role model for children,” says Langford. “The kids love him. Maybe they sense he has been in their shoes, and therefore, they are completely themselves around him. Maybe they take to him because of his obvious inner strength and his quick sense of humor. Whatever the reason, they are drawn to him, and he to them.”
Or perhaps the children detect an individual who, much like themselves, refuses to relent to outside pressures.
“I just want to help people,” says Swanagan.
“Throughout my life I had some struggles and some things could have gone the opposite way for me. I had people there to help me out. It was not necessarily social workers, but family and friends of the family that were there for me. I just want to do the same thing for other kids who grew up the way I did.”
Swanagan’s personal anchor is his aunt, Mary Beth Moss, with whom he has lived since seventh grade.
“I am most proud that he’s devoted to doing the right things,” says Moss.
“When he was in school, other teenagers Harold knew would always get into trouble. But Harold wouldn’t go along with them.”
Moss dedicated the majority of her resources to sending Swanagan to the private University Heights Academy in Hopkinsville, Ky., and allowing her nephew to participate in such privileged opportunities as playing with traveling basketball teams.
“She’s been the rock. She took me in and took care of me. She did everything she could even though she didn’t have the money or the things she needed to raise a kid like me. I grew fast, played a lot of basketball and traveled a lot during the summer – all of which costs money. But, she still was there to help me. She has been the lady that has always been there for me.”
“He used to be a bad, little boy,” laughs Moss.
“All he did was play, play and play. At one point in time he turned it around and decided to put more attention on school.”
But for Swanagan, who has an older brother and no younger siblings, the ability to relate with children comes naturally.
Aunt Mary Beth knows why.
“Harold’s always loved children. Once his high school coach’s daughter brought Harold in for show-and-tell. All the kids in her school absolutely adored Harold, as if he was a president. It was because in him, they saw a little kid too.”
Clearly, Harold has a gift, one that will enable him to accomplish enormous good in the field of social work,” says Langford.
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| Harold Swanagan |
While Swanagan’s unique Notre Dame journey will one day lead to a career in social work, he continues to play a pivotal role for the Irish in his senior season.
“Harold means everything to this program,” says close friend and co-captain David Graves.
“If it wasn’t for Harold, we would be good, but wouldn’t be as good. The little things he does you just can’t replace. He does the intangibles that nobody wants to do. I have always said he is the most valuable player of our team, without a doubt.”
As a freshman, Swanagan notched his first career start at Villanova on Jan. 16, 1999, and recorded career-highs in points and rebounds while replacing an injured Troy Murphy. He also provided an immediate impact off the bench, scoring in double figures against top-ranked and eventual national runner-up Duke, with most of the action coming against future consensus All-American and current Los Angeles Clippers star Elton Brand, and again against nationally-ranked Indiana in November. Averaging just less than seven minutes a game the first three contests of the season, Swanagan would average over 17 minutes per game throughout the remainder of the year and appear in 29 of 30 games.
Swanagan started all but three of the team’s 37 games and immediately emerged into the spotlight in 1999-2000, averaging 6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and just over 22 minutes per contest. After he was pulled from the starting lineup against VMI and inserted four days later against Rider on Dec. 22, Swanagan responded with his first double-double of the season recording 11 points and 12 rebounds.
As a junior, Swanagan served as the sixth starter before assuming a starting role at mid-season. Prior to the NCAA Tournament opener against Xavier, he started the final 14 games of the 2001 regular season and against Pittsburgh in the BIG EAST Tournament.
“Anything necessary to win the game and help the team out, I will do it,” says Swanagan.
“All they have to do is ask me. That is the kind of mindset any basketball player should have. Whatever they ask you to do, you should do it. This year, I have been asked to do a little bit more scoring and rebounding. In the off-season they asked me to lose some weight so I could be quicker on defense and help out on the perimeter when they need help.”
And that is exactly what he has done.
Playing a career-high 26.0 minutes per game, Swanagan is shooting at nearly a 60 percent clip this season. His 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game qualify, respectively, as career-bests.
Although opposing big men in BIG EAST frontcourts may not see Swanagan’s generous side, his teammates certainly do.
“His size has a little do with it, but just the type of person he is, you automatically have a lot of respect for him,” says junior guard Matt Carroll.
“You look at him and say ‘Wow, he’s a big guy,’ but he is one of the nicest persons at heart you could ever meet. I know if I need something, I can ask him and he will lay it on the line for me.”
Characterized by this unselfish approach and blue-collar work ethic, Swanagan’s aggressive and in-your-face style around the basket has provided a physical presence as both rebounder and defender. But at the heart of his 64-plus career starts and 112-plus games played is the ability to do the little things.
“He works hard and does the small things that people really don’t notice,” says senior forward and co-captain Ryan Humphrey.
“In a sense, I feel that he and Graves, as captains, really feed off each other. Swanagan is vocal when it’s needed and leads by example when needed. When he knows the time and place to do both, those are important.”
Swanagan found just his chance to make noise following a mid-season loss to Kentucky at Rupp Arena last January.
“I don’t think you can print half the stuff I said,” says Swanagan.
“I was a little upset. We weren’t playing to our potential.”
A definite turning point in the campaign, Irish head coach Mike Brey responded by re-inserting Swanagan into the starting lineup. And the re-energized Irish answered by winning 10 of their next 11 games, all coming against BIG EAST competition, en route to the Western Division championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
“That’s the way Swanagan is,” says sophomore guard Torrian Jones.
“He is really emotional because he loves to win. If you ever want to break him or get him mad, beat him in a game of something, whether it is basketball or PlayStation. He is very competitive.”
Yet Swanagan characterizes himself as strictly a lead-by-example personality who will only rattle a cage when necessary.
“I don’t really talk a lot, but I lead by example,” says Swanagan.
“I show people that, while I am the shortest post-player, you can outrebound some of the bigger guys in the league and you can outhustle a lot of people. If you talk too much, people might take it the wrong way. You have to pick your situations when you do things [like I did at Kentucky]. I just try to lead by example. The only thing you can do is just try and play with your heart.”
But who would not listen when this 6-7, 247-pound man wants to share his advise, or his emotions?
Carroll says no one.
“Harold doesn’t speak too often, but when he does you listen. He came in a few games where we were down the first half and started yelling at us in a positive and constructive way – not so much getting on somebody but saying, ‘Hey, you guys have to get it together.’ He’s the type of person that when he talks, you listen.”
Swanagan’s academic achievements speak even louder than words. By developing strong relationships with his professors and utilizing the available resources in the Academic Services for Student-Athletes Office, Swanagan earned a grade-point average in excess of 3.4 this past fall, marking the fifth time that his cumulative GPA increased from the previous semester. He attended the Notre Dame London Summer Program in the summer of 2001, and will graduate in May with a degree from the College of Arts and Letters in sociology.
“On a personal level, Harold has accomplished so much that nobody thought he could do,” says Graves, whose family has remained close friends with Swanagan since the two first met on a summer basketball team as 10th graders.
“That is more gratifying than winning a basketball game or championship with him. The fact that he will graduate from this University, that he’s on the Dean’s List – you never thought Harold could do it. But he works hard and doesn’t want any credit. He just wants to succeed, whether it is on the floor or in the classroom.”
“Harold is very compassionate and has a great deal of empathy towards other people. There is something special about him. My family just adores him,” adds Graves’ mother Barbara.
“That’s how I’ve been taught to live my life – to leave a good impression on people and people will always remember you,” says Swanagan.
“And that’s just what I want to do.”
To have that special ability to display your true self to a variety of parties and in a variety of elements, I’d say mission accomplished.