Dj Swearinger is best known for his time in the NFL. However at 33 years old he is a man who has held many titles in his lifetime; football player, podcaster, track star, husband, father, humanitarian, and now boxer. That’s right the man who once was a second round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, has taken his talents to the boxing ring, and this is no gimmick.
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Football Teaches You to Fight
Dj Swearinger was a star on the football field and his future was always destined to include a future at the professional level. As a two-way star at Greenwood High School he played running back, wide receiver, and defensive back. It was at the latter position that he found the most interest heading into college. Originally committing to Tennessee, he flipped his commitment when he got an offer to stay home in South Carolina.
Opting to stay in South Carolina not far from where he grew up, Swearinger quickly built upon his reputation coming out of high school. Becoming known for bone-crushing blows, he was often regarded as the hardest hitting safety in the SEC during his four-year college career. He would graduate with 244 career tackles, 6 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and 2 defensive touchdowns.
Standing 5’10 208 pounds during his pro-day he ran a 4.67 40-yard dash, a 6.7 3-cone drill, and put up 17 reps of 225 pounds. This coupled with his college production led the Houston Texans to select him in round 2 57th overall.
Dj Swearinger went on to play for 7 different NFL franchises, and even made a comeback after virtually 3 seasons with the XFL’s DC Defenders in 2023 where he stuck until April of 2024. Ultimately his football career has seemingly come to an end after eleven seasons spread over twelve years.
He transitions to his new boxing career having collected 401 tackles, over 40 pass break ups, 15 interceptions, 5 sacks, 9 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, and 1 defensive touchdown.
Dj Swearinger made his debut in the ring against a boxing veteran in November of 2024. However boxing is something that has always been a part of his training regimen dating years before he ever fought competitively for the first time.
Unexpected Detour Before Boxing Career Begins
That is not where this transition initially began, it actually began before he ever signed an XFL contract. A son’s request can often carry a man through any challenge in life, and in this case his son wanted to see DJ Swearinger play football again.
This led him to halt his training that had begun in January of 2023, and shift gears back into football mode. After spending over a decade playing football above the 200 pound mark, DJ Swearinger had decided he would fight at 175 pounds, down over 30 pounds from his pro day weight at 30 years old.
Reversing course on this was likely not as easy as it sounds. Cutting weight, whether it was always there or simply added for a purpose is never easy. To go from cutting weight, back to adding it at a moment’s notice is a whole other challenge. Ultimately regardless of what stood in the way, Dj Swearinger returned to the field and reminded opposing players what led him to the NFL in the first place. However a career in boxing was never far from his mind.
A New Career in Boxing
Nearly two years removed from when he initially started training to box competitively he finally made his debut. In his first ever bout he fought Brazilian-born Victor Darocha who held an 11-6 record before he stepped in the ring with Dj Swearinger. While this initial bout was an exhibition match, Dj Swearinger has continued to fight since then with another match coming up in April of 2025, that is sure to get spicy.
Update: The fight mentioned above has in fact been cancelled once again. It was announced on Dj Swearinger’s instagram yesterday.
Check out the inside access blogs dedicated to his transition from football player to boxer on his YouTube channel here. If you would like to read more great content like this: Click Here.
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