After graduating from high school, Swanner attended Clemson University, where he played as a goalkeeper on the men's soccer team.
Swanner earned his only cap with the U.S. national team when he came on for Winston DuBose in a December 2 tie with Ecuador.
When Swanner expressed his intentions to enter the pros, the Canton Invaders of the American Indoor Soccer Association (AISA) drafted him in the first round.
Despite Swanner's amazing success with the Invaders, he left the team at the end of the 1991–1992 season to join the Buffalo Blizzard of the NPSL.
When Swanner finished his time in professional soccer, he topped the AISA/NPSL career list with 296 wins & 10 shutouts.
In 1997, he became an assistant coach with both the Duchesne High School and Lewis and Clark Community College teams.