Maybe he knows his audience. Maybe he learned from Kerryon Johnson. Maybe he was speaking straight from the heart.
Whatever the case, new Lions running back D'Andre Swift had the right answer when asked what he knows about the organization that drafted him No. 35 overall Friday night.
"The first thing that came to my mind was Barry Sanders," Swift said. "He's my favorite back of all-time."
That makes it two Barry fans in Detroit's backfield. Johnson was vocal about his love for Sanders before the Lions even drafted him two years ago. That spawned a natural question, one that now applies to Swift.
If Sanders retired before he was born, how did Swift come to love him?
"Well, everyone would always talk about him," Swift said, much like Johnson. "I started watching film and highlights and just looking at his stats. It's kind of unbelievable. As I got older, I tried to emulate my game to be like his in any way possible. I just love watching him."
With his stout 5'9 frame, Swift has a similar build to Sanders. And like Sanders in 1989, Swift was widely considered the best running back in this year's draft. He slipped to the second round, and the Lions stand to benefit.
Between Swift and Johnson, they now have two playmakers in a backfield that could do damage in 2020.
@DAndreSwift welcome!! Happy to have that dead leg move apart of the RB room!
— Kerryon Johnson (@AyeyoKEJO) April 25, 2020It sounds like Detroit had its eye on Swift from the start. He said it was "one of the teams I talked with a little bit more than others." And it makes sense.
The Lions want to run the ball under Matt Patricia and Darrell Bevell, and Johnson, for all his ability, hasn't been able to stay healthy through two seasons. He missed eight games in 2019 and Detroit finished 21st in the NFL in rushing. Swift will ease the load, without any drop-off in talent.
He comes from a school known for its running backs. As a freshman he ran with Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. He wound up posting 6.6 yards per carry for his career, breaking a school record previously held by Todd Gurley.
"Just to have my name mentioned with those guys – they're legends," said Swift. "I just have to do my part, so I can be talked about with them further down the line."
Maybe one day, he'll be talked about with Barry, too.
