Carson Schwesinger thought he had done everything he could to secure a starting position in UCLA’s defense. He had a remarkable spring camp in which he racked up enough tackles and interceptions to become one of the best-performing players on the team.
But when the depth chart was released, he was eighth on the linebackers list.
“That’s just one of those situations where it doesn’t matter how you view yourself,” Schwesinger said. “You’ve got to make sure the people who are in charge of putting you in view you like that as well – to where they have to put you in to be successful.”
He dutifully followed that mantra, which he had heard from his dad his whole life, and within a span of two seasons, he became an All-American. Now, he’s projected to be a second-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
“It’s the same message I give to the other five (siblings),” his dad, Dennis Schwesinger, said. “You get the opportunity, and then you take advantage of that opportunity by assessing who you’re competing against in every situation. And then just outwork, outthink and outperform them.”
No choice but to work hard
Dennis speaks from the heart about working hard. He chose to drop out of college and, consequently, football, in favor of hard work and obligation.
His mom had died during his senior year of high school and his dad left shortly after, leaving Dennis and his eldest sister to take care of their six younger siblings.
Several college football programs were interested in Dennis, who went to Chaminade College Preparatory on a scholarship. But with his younger siblings in mind, he chose to work full time at a Domino’s Pizza while taking courses at Cal State Northridge.
“I closed five nights a week at Domino’s as a driver and made enough money to pay for my brothers and sisters and me, but I missed football,” Dennis said. “So, I walked on. But it got to be where it was just too expensive.”
The rising costs of college education forced him to plan a six-month break from school and football to take a full-time job as a manager with Domino’s. The coaches urged him not to leave, offering to cover his expenses.
“And I’m like, you can’t pay for my brothers and sisters,” Dennis recalled. “I’ve got to provide.”
He worked his way up at Domino’s before becoming an operations director for the West Coast in the late 1980s. At 22 years old, he bought eight stores with sweat equity.
Colleagues and coworkers who were older than him doled out advice on how they would have lived their lives differently. Most of their regrets involved missed time with their family and kids.
As a result, Schwesinger and his siblings became Dennis’ top priority. Which meant enrolling Carson at Oaks Christian School to position the young linebacker for success in football.
Making a name
It’s because of Oaks Christian that Schwesinger ended up at UCLA. Head coach Charlie Collins had an established relationship with then-Bruins head coach Chip Kelly after coaching in the NFL together, and he encouraged Kelly to take Schwesinger on as a walk-on.
Kelly was unsure, Collins remembers.
“It boiled down to him just being under the radar,” Collins said. “And I think nobody knew about it, but I always knew that he could do it. I talked to Chip Kelly, and he was apprehensive about Carson coming there. I told him that if he brought him in there, he would definitely be getting to a guy that will eventually earn a scholarship.”
Schwesinger earned a scholarship after one season at UCLA, but a starting spot was slow to follow. He spent most of his time on special teams and as a reserve linebacker in 2023 – Kelly’s final season – even though he was picking apart the offense in practice.
“I always had the confidence in myself throughout my journey,” Schwesinger said, “but there’s definitely times when you feel like you should be playing and you’re not. Or even in practice, you feel like you should maybe get more reps and you’re not.”
Dennis recalls Schwesinger being accused of cheating because of how effectively he read the offense. He was even asked to leave practice. The father continued to relay his tried-and-true message of working so hard that he couldn’t possibly be ignored.
A season later, DeShaun Foster took over as head coach and Ikaika Malloe was at defensive coordinator. The defensive configuration slotted Oluwafemi Oladejo at edge and Jay Toia at defensive tackle, creating a perfect opportunity for Schwesinger to fulfill his potential at linebacker.
He started in 10 out of 12 games under Foster and Malloe, who each previously witnessed his intelligence and athleticism against the Bruins’ offense in practice over and over again.
“He’s a player who waited to get his opportunity and as soon as he got that, it took off,” Foster said in an interview with NFL Network. “Once he got on the field, we couldn’t take him off.
“We had a relationship because he was on scout team. He was somebody that I was always like, ‘Are my running backs looking at the hole? Are they giving away where they’re running?’ He would always give me good insight and that’s how I knew, this guy is really a student of the game.”
Schwesinger was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press and was one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, which honors college football’s top linebacker. His 90 solo tackles and 7.5 solo tackles per game led the nation and he had a Big Ten-best 136 total tackles.
He became the first UCLA player since 2018 to record 100 tackles in a season and first Bruin linebacker to do so since 2017 – the list of accolades runs long.
Schools that never gave Schwesinger a glance out of high school came calling, Dennis said, urging him to transfer and use his final season of eligibility as opposed to declaring for the draft.
“They’re like, ‘How come this guy wasn’t out there?’ Because you guys are looking for the wrong guys,” he said.
A full-circle moment
Thirty NFL teams were represented on a dewy Wednesday morning in early April at Oaks Christian School, where Schwesinger chose to hold a private pro day workout.
He had already met with all 32 teams and ended up on the Lions’ turf after sitting out of UCLA’s pro day due to a hamstring injury.
“It’s a full-circle moment for sure,” Collins said. “Kind of surreal, particularly when it’s who I thought he could be. To see it happen in real time is really, just – I’m like a proud dad in some ways.”
Fellow UCLA linebacker Kain Medrano had come to the pro day to do position drills and USC linebacker Mason Cobb participated after missing his own school’s pro day. Current Oaks Christian players came out to watch, as well as Schwesinger’s tight-knit family.
“What I hope to show is that regardless of the situation you’re in, whether it’s football or life, that there could be times when maybe it doesn’t seem like it’s going to work out,” he said.
“Just put your head down and don’t worry about what everyone else is saying or what they’re doing. Go outwork everybody else who you think is in your way and do it in a way that you have to be out there, showing everybody. Let your actions speak for you and it’s gonna lead to success.”
It worked for his father at Domino’s and lifted him through years of struggle and sacrifice. Schwesinger took his dad’s advice and ran with it, but the gratification goes well beyond football.
“He saw that it worked. And I’ve always told all of (my kids) that works no matter where you are,” Dennis said. “It’s not about the NFL. When they find that, when they get it – as a parent, that’s the reward for me. I know that they’re going to be OK.”
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