Swayze Bozeman (born November 2, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Copiah–Lincoln Wolves and Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
Early life
Bozeman was born on November 2, 1998, in Flora, Mississippi.[1] He attended Tri-County Academy in Flora where he competed in football, basketball and track and field.[2] In football, he played on both defense and at running back, helping his school to two MAIS AA state championship appearances.[2][3] He graduated from Tri-County in 2017 and opted to play college football for the Copiah–Lincoln Wolves, a community college team.[4]
College career
Bozeman played at safety for Copiah–Lincoln in 2017 before switching to linebacker in 2018.[5] As a sophomore in 2018, he was named All-Region after posting a team-leading 91 tackles.[5] He was also a first-team All-Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) selection.[2] He concluded his two-year stint with the Wolves having totaled 133 tackles in 19 games played.[2]
Bozeman signed with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles to continue his collegiate career, becoming the first NCAA Division I football player from his high school since 2002.[5] He saw significant playing time in his first year with the team, 2019.[6] He ended up starting eight games while playing in all 13, recording 57 tackles, 6.0 tackles-for-loss (TFLs) and 4.5 sacks.[2] He started all six games in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, totaling 42 tackles, then played in four games before taking a redshirt due to injury in 2021, after having made 20 tackles.[2] He appeared in three games in 2022, missing time due to injury, and made 13 tackles as well as returned a fumble for a touchdown.[2] In his final year, 2023, he appeared in six games, making 36 tackles.[2] He concluded his tenure at Southern Miss having recorded 168 tackles, 12.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks in 32 games played.[4][7]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+3⁄8 in (1.86 m) |
224 lb (102 kg) |
30+7⁄8 in (0.78 m) |
8+1⁄8 in (0.21 m) |
4.55 s | 1.57 s | 2.56 s | 4.22 s | 6.67 s | 36.0 in (0.91 m) |
10 ft 11 in (3.33 m) |
24 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[8] | ||||||||||||
Kansas City Chiefs
Bozeman impressed at his pro day, recording marks in the bench press, broad jump, shuttle run and three-cone drill which each would have been the best among linebackers at the NFL Scouting Combine.[4] After going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent.[9] He was waived on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad the following day.[10][11] He was elevated to the active roster for the team's Week 14 game against the Los Angeles Chargers and made his NFL debut in the game.[1][12]
Chicago Bears
On February 14, 2025, Bozeman signed with the Chicago Bears.[13]
References
- ^ a b "Swayze Bozeman Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Swayze Bozeman". Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
- ^ Coleman, Ray (November 12, 2015). "TCA's Swayze Bozeman wins Blitz 16 POTW". WAPT.
- ^ a b c Johnstone, Patrick (April 4, 2024). "Flora native chasing dream of playing in the NFL". WLBT.
- ^ a b c Wilson, Robert (January 3, 2020). "Tri-County graduate Bozeman helps Southern Miss get to bowl game". Mississippi Scoreboard.
- ^ "Tri County's Swayze Bozeman making a big impact in first year with Southern Miss". WJTV. November 20, 2019.
- ^ McMullen, Matt (July 3, 2024). "Pre-Camp Breakdown: Examining the Chiefs Linebackers". Kansas City Chiefs.
- ^ "Swayze Bozeman College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Sklar, Sam (April 27, 2024). "Southern Miss undrafted free agents tracker: Golden Eagles who signed after 2024 NFL Draft". Hattiesburg American.
- ^ Jacobs, Nick (August 27, 2024). "Chiefs make roster moves on NFL's cutdown day". KSHB-TV.
- ^ Newell, Jesse (August 28, 2024). "Here's who's on Kansas City Chiefs' initial practice squad (and also who isn't)". The Kansas City Star.
- ^ Palmer, Tod (December 8, 2024). "Chargers' top receiver inactive for showdown with Chiefs on Sunday Night Football". KSHB-TV.
- ^ "Bears sign former Chiefs LB Swayze Bozeman". Bears Wire. USA Today. February 14, 2025.