H A R R Y  S W A Y N E

BIO

PASSION  |  EXPERIENCE  |  DILIGENCE  |  INTEGRITY

 

 

Harry was born in Philadelphia and attended Rutgers University, receiving a B.S. in Sport Management. He received numerous Big East honors and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 7thround of the 1987 NFL draft. After playing defensive line for three years, he made the difficult switch in 1990 to left offensive tackle where he would play for twelve years.

 

Harry spent the next six years as a San Diego Charger, taking them to their first ever World Championship, Super Bowl XXIX in 1994.  Voted as the team union representative for four years, Harry was pivotal in identifying unacceptable playing and workplace conditions. He would win the next two World Championships with the Denver Broncos. Harry then signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 1999 and won his third World Championship, Super Bowl XXXV. The Miami Dolphins were his final team for the 2001 season after fifteen years in the NFL.

After an extensive year of training with the para-church ministry, Athletes in Action, Harry was assigned to the Chicago Bears. He served as Life Coach and Team Chaplain for five years during Head Coach Lovie Smith’s tenure.

 

In 2008, Harry returned to the Baltimore Ravens as the Player Development Director, working closely with GM Ozzie Newsome. Harry was tasked with shaping the culture of the team by creating innovative programs and strategically engaging and utilizing partnerships with key influencers. Harry designed, built and executed programs that ensured high potential players performed consistently at the highest level of sport. He created and implemented the Ravens Mentoring Program, which became a sought-after designation for veteran players for 10 years. Additionally, Harry initiated the Ravens Rookie Orientation program which he designed to utilize solution-based research and content driven by qualitative and quantitative data. These and other programs set the Ravens apart. Harry proved that analyzing data in HR was just as profitable as analytics in strategic football. 

His talent acquisition duties within the personnel department included 90+ face to face interviews in which Harry identified character traits consistent with organizational goals. Harry’s narrative reports to the GM, Ozzie Newsome, both helped to forecast workforce planning and inform program changes. 

 

During his time with the Ravens, Harry’s programs, including his “Bring the Upstairs Down” (BUD) initiative (which educated employees on benefits, insurance grievances, payroll, union matters, 401k, etc.) greatly influenced the culture of the team and the organization. His robust and comprehensive programs are driven by the wholistic approach that healthy men perform at a high level because they are first a great friend, teammate, father and husband. Many with knowledge of his programming agree with Troy Vincent, VP NFL Operations, that “Harry’s department is the benchmark of Player Engagement.”

 

In 2012 Harry participated in and won the Wharton School of Executive Education competition. He led a group of six other NFL franchises and won by utilizing feedback in the milieu as a networking strategy for Career Development. Harry completed his Masters in Human Service Counseling at Liberty University in 2018, and the following year attained the Senior Certified Professional designation from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). He consults with various businesses, such as Unlock the Champion, which states, “we are honored to have Harry join with other NFL Legends as they train the next generation of leaders from many top university athletic programs.” Harry’s consulting always seeks to improve performance.

 

Harry is an effective, powerful, gifted and highly sought-after speaker. His speaking topics include leadership, communication, marriage, parenting, relationships, manhood, commitment, overcoming incredible odds, success, personal growth, family dynamics, strategy and conflict resolution. Harry and Dawn, his wife of 23 years, are based in Baltimore, MD and counsel couples through their business HDS Marriage Counseling. They have 3 daughters and 2 sons.

 

 

Nuts & Bolts

 

Harry V. Swayne, M.A., SCP

 

Education

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
B.S., 1987

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
Masters in Human Service Counseling, 2018

 

Activities & Affiliations

• Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), Member

• NFL Legend

• ​3-Time Super Bowl Champion

 

Awards

• Rutgers University Football Hall of Fame • Livingston College Distinguished Alumni Award

• Wharton School of Executive Education competition winner