When UConn linebacker Ian Swenson came back for his sixth and final year with the program, he couldn't have imagined the ride that would be in store for him.
There would be more battles at Rentschler Field in front of thousands of fans. He would put in more hours at the Burton Family Football Complex to get even better with his brothers by his side. But, most importantly, Swenson had the opportunity to be one of the biggest factors in a new regime and the "Husky Revolution".
He knew there was hope in the air. Ever since meeting coach Jim Mora and getting to know the man that would help lead the Huskies, the aura that surrounded him showed that the new UConn coach was a different football mind than he'd ever experienced before. This was a coach that was going to get the most out of his players. He wasn't satisfied with any type of mediocracy and if you were going to give him any type of low effort, he was going to let you have it.
But words are just words. Mora did more than that, especially off the field. Swenson talked about his ability to connect with players and coaches, young and old. Even being away from coaching, Mora never lost his ability to relate with his own players.
"He could come down in the dining room, just sit down with us and just talk. Chat about life. That honestly made us more connected with him. He connects very well with the players," said Swenson.
But now, even with Coach Mora leading the charge, Swenson still had to put in the work and this was the final year to help cement his legacy. Everything was on the line and the UConn linebacker had been with the program since 2016. He's seen many players come and go, whether that's to the NFL or their next journey in life. But, along that journey, Swenson himself has ascended to become the leader that his team needs him to be, a position he said he never expected himself to be in. He was going to be one of the players that would pick one of his teammates up after a poor play and get him back to where he needed to be.
Even with a new mantel that Swenson was expected to carry as one of the older players in the locker room, sometimes you do need someone to help you become that leader. For Swenson, that help came from Marquez Bembry, one of the team's newest transfers from Kentucky. As one of the older players in the locker room, Bembry gave him some valuable advice that would help stick with him throughout the season.
"All eyes on you," Bembry told Swenson. "You have to set the example. Us older guys have to show the younger guys how to work and do the right things."
During his year with the team, Bembry was always helping Swenson off the field. They'd talk about life. He would share the importance of networking with people, especially at opportunities like UConn's alumni barbeque.
"He's a special guy. That's one of my really good friends. He'll reiterate things. He won't let you get off track ever. He'll be like, 'Hey, football isn't always everything. We're more than just football. We're people too,'" said Swenson.
Those values carry to the locker room every day as well. If anyone were to step into any practice, they would see a bunch of smiling faces who are dedicated to bettering themselves every step of the way. It may not have been easy at first to develop chemistry through the first couple of games during the season, but as the team started to adjust and become accustomed to playing with each other, everything came together.
They won football games and were having fun doing it. They exceeded everyone's expectations of them. Some predicted two wins. Other people said three wins. Instead, the team now sits at 6 wins, bowl eligibility and a chance for their 7th win in their final matchup of the season against Army.
It was a new standard that the program rose to. Any challenge was going to be with maximum effort. Players weren't going to submit to any weakness. That standard was finally realized, according to Mora, after the team's loss at Ball State. At halftime of that matchup, the team had an 11-point lead, but instead of closing out the game, the Huskies lost the game 25-21. The team truly felt the disappointment of the loss, but rather than seeing it through a lens of failure, Swenson agrees with Mora that it was a moment of growth.
"With how the culture is built, you feel like the losses hurt more. The wins feel way better. You just feel the connection with the players," said Swenson.
After the loss, the Huskies immediately went on a three-game win streak, which included a win against the then-19th-ranked team in the country, Liberty University. By that point, the fans believed in this special set of players. Beyond the loud atmosphere of Rentschler Field, where attendance was already growing, Swenson could walk around the Storrs campus and get people walking up to him, excited with how the team was performing. The overall atmosphere around campus was nothing he had ever seen before in his six years of playing. He could check his phone and see a level of support he'd never seen on Twitter.
"One of the kids in my class came up to me and said, 'Hey, great win! Way to be bowl-eligible!' We're just talking about football and you never saw it before. It's just a new level of support from the students, the fans, everybody," said Swenson.
Whether it was a new mini-movie from the UConn football social media team or a simple tweet celebrating an incredible upset win, people were buying in everywhere to what UConn football was doing. Swenson was certainly a part of that. When it was time to have fun, he'd give his share of laughs with his Husky teammates. But, when it was time to flip that switch into battle mode, he was ready to show any opponent what he was made of.
He credits Coach Siriki Diabate, the team's linebackers coach, with helping to instill that attitude in him this season. Both Swenson and Diabate immediately built a close bond when the new UConn coach was hired. They'd crack some jokes during team meetings. He'd keep players interested and never let players forget why they love football so much.
But, when it comes down to football, it's all serious business. Swenson credits Diabate with helping him flip the switch to the game attitude he exhibits every time he takes the field whether it's at the welcoming confines at Rentschler Field or the large grounds of Michie Stadium. Diabate never let Swenson lose sight of the task at hand for UConn football.
"He'll know if we come out with a little lower energy than usual and he'll be like, 'Hey guys, we gotta pick this up right now!' He knows immediately. He gets me going," said Swenson.
In his last home game at Rentschler Field against Liberty, he not only conducted himself in that way, but the emotions also piled in. He went through one last husky walk, one more step on the field, one more pre-game jog on the Rentschler Field grass and one last moment in the locker room with his brothers as they celebrated the upset win over Liberty. The moment was surreal as fans stormed the field and players were emotional, including Swenson.
He won the game for those guys who couldn't experience what the UConn linebacker was doing this year. Many of those same guys texted Swenson after the game to offer their congratulations, a cherry on top of a night filled with love and joy that was unlike any other that Swenson ever experienced in his Husky career.
As he gets ready to take the final bow of his UConn career, Swenson talked about the moments when he really learned to embrace the moment. Even in the exciting and unbelievable moments he experienced in his final season, he talked about how he did take the time to soak it all in.
"There were a couple of moments I took. This senior day, I felt the rush of emotions. For a few minutes, I took pictures. I took a picture with Coach Mora. I felt all the emotions, but then I had to lock back in. A few days ago, watching that mini-movie, I felt like my time is coming to an end here and I just want to leave at the best point I can," said Swenson.
