An exceptional scholar and prolific passer, Craig Swanson personified the ideals of Division III sports during his record-breaking career on the gridiron. The three-year starter graduated with the Hobart all-time records for passing yards (5,678), attempts (802), completions (454), and touchdowns (47), as well as the marks for completion percentage (56.6), pass efficiency (129.7), and passing yards per game (177.4).
Before earning the starting nod as a sophomore, Swanson gave Hobart fans a taste of what was to come when he entered a second round NCAA playoff game and completed a 49-yard touchdown pass against Widener. In 2001, Swanson completed his first campaign as a starter, with a record breaking effort. He completed 25 of 54 pass attempts for a record 437 yards at Rensselaer.
As a junior, Swanson enjoyed his most prolific season, throwing for a then record 2,209 yards and a then record 21 touchdowns with a 139.6 pass efficiency rating. After leading the Statesmen to an 8-2 record and the program’s second NCAA tournament berth, the co-captain was named the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, the Division III Player of the Year award. Swanson also received the Mike Roberti ’90 Memorial Award for his character, sportsmanship, and positive influence on his teammates.
The following year, Swanson led Hobart to a 6-4 record, including a 43-25 victory over previously unbeaten Rensselaer, to capture the UCAA Championship and then capped his career with a 34-18 win over Norwich in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl. He earned second-team All-Liberty League honors after completing 165 of 267 passes for 1,851 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The senior co-captain was honored at the annual Block H Dinner with the Bill Middleton Memorial Award as the team’s offensive MVP and the Francis L. “Babe” Kraus ’24 Memorial Award as Hobart’s most outstanding senior athlete.
A standout in the classroom as well as on the field, Swanson was a three-time Liberty League All-Academic selection. He was a Verizon Academic All-District first team honoree as a junior. In 2003, Swanson became just the second Hobart football player to be named an Academic All-American, garnering a spot on the second team. He was named to the Dean’s List every semester and was named a Hobart Dean’s Scholar as a first-year, a Hobart Scholar as a sophomore, and a Benjamin Hale Scholar as junior. Swanson was also chosen to be a member of the Druid Society.
Swanson was very active in service on and off campus as well. He taught several workshops for Hobart first-year students as a rape prevention counselor for three years and participated in the America Reads Program as a reader to preschool and elementary school children. Swanson was an HWS Day of Service Volunteer in addition to being a volunteer tutor at Geneva Middle School, helping Spanish-speaking students learn English. Swanson received the President’s Public Service Award in 2004 for his efforts at HWS and in the community.
Swanson graduated cum laude in 2004, earning a bachelor’s degree in physics with a minor in education. He then served as an assistant coach for the Hobart football team while completing his master of arts in teaching degree from the Colleges in 2005.
