Swann played high school football for the Western Harnett High School Eagles.
Swann was bound for North Carolina State University, but was ruled academically ineligible. Rather than enrolling at NC State as a Proposition 48 student, Swann instead opted to play for the Bay State Titans which did not pay its players, but provide jobs for them. He lugged pipe for an electric company and ran errands for a restaurant before becoming a multimillionaire in the NFL.
There have been reports that he is trying to make a comeback to the NFL.
Eric Swann has agreed in 2007 to play for the Hudson Valley Saints, who are a member of the North American Football League 