Swinton attended Central High School and received All-State honors in football, basketball, baseball and track.
He accepted a football scholarship from Murray State University to play under head coach Houston Nutt.
As a junior in 1996, he became the first Murray State player to amass more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season (1,042), while being selected All-Ohio Valley Conference and second-team Division I-AA All-American.
He contributed to the team winning back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Championships and advancing to quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
[2] His pro career began in February 1999 in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Toronto Argonauts, who in March traded him along with quarterback Kerwin Bell to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in exchange for Eric Blount, wide receiver Mitch Running and two players on the team's negotiation list.
[6] His offensive coordinator with the Twisters (Ron Calcagni) recommended him to the Dallas Cowboys, who in turn would sign him on August 6, 2001.
This production earned him second-team All-Pro honors from College and Pro Football Newsweekly as a punt returner.
On September 29, 2003, he was traded to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick, in order to groom rookie Zuriel Smith for the returner role.
On October 10, 2003, Swinton was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions, to replace Eddie Drummond who suffered a sprained knee and ankle against the Minnesota Vikings.
He also was one of only two players in the league (with Kansas City's Dante Hall) to have both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown that season.