EDUCATING BRENNEN SWANSON; MATADORS LINEBACKER OVERCOMES HIS DYSLEXIA.

Byline: Chris Branam Staff Writer

When Proposition 48 forced him to sit out his freshman football season at Cal State Northridge in 1995, Brennen Swanson took classes such as golf and karate.

It was as if he was thumbing his nose at an educational system he felt let him down in high school. But when Swanson found out his sophomore year he could earn another year of collegiate eligibility through academic achievement, he challenged himself.

He earned that fourth season and will be a starting outside linebacker when the Matadors open the season Saturday at home against Western Oregon.

``For three years, I took three summer school classes and 18-21 units a semester,'' Swanson said.

Swanson was diagnosed at an early age at having a form of dyslexia. He has no trouble reading and writing, but processing questions is difficult.

``People that don't understand (dyslexia) look at you like you're dumb,'' he said. ``I got yelled at so many times in class for not knowing the answer. I also got interviewed a lot by newspapers, and I would say, `Yeah,' a lot.''

Swanson didn't have the 13 required core classes accepted by the NCAA, so he took out his Santa Ynez High frustrations on his football opponents. In just two seasons - 1993 and '94 - he had 197 tackles and eight interceptions. Last year, he set a school record with 15-1/2 sacks.

He came to CSUN in 1995 as a 6-foot-1, 190-pound linebacker, undersized even by Division I-AA standards. He wasn't allowed to play, yet he worked every day in the weight room.

``You always saw (potential),'' said CSUN linebackers coach Terrance Johnson, who coached the defensive linemen when Swanson was a sophomore. ``You really saw it when he hit the weights.''

Senior backup quarterback Josh Fiske, who also was Swanson's high school teammate, said Swanson could have been a Division I recruit if he wasn't so skinny at Santa Ynez.

``The only thing (Swanson) needed was to get bigger,'' Fiske said. ``When he had that one year to sit out, he got bigger.''

At the beginning of last season, Swanson was 6-3 and 230 pounds. He became a pass-rushing linebacker in the mold of Lawrence Taylor. Besides the sacks, Swanson had 44 solo tackles and 78 total tackles.

``(Swanson)'s got good quickness,'' said David Robinson, CSUN's first-year defensive line coach. ``He had raw talent last year. Now, he's got a couple of moves that are working for him.''

Swanson reported for fall camp at 240 pounds and ran 40 yards in 4.6 seconds, considered an excellent time for his size. He also blossomed off the field.

Five years after barely being able to answer reporters' simple questions, Swanson shows no signs of dyslexia.

And he's maintained a laid-back attitude instilled by his parents, Robert and Phyllis.

``I just go out there and play, have fun, and work hard,'' Swanson said. ``My parents were supportive, they always wanted me to have fun more than anything else. I didn't have any pressure.''

Swanson needs one class to graduate with his urban recreation degree. Then he wants to become a teacher.

``I feel like I could do a much better job than some of the teachers who taught me,'' he said.

SWAN SONG

Brennen Swanson, a senior linebacker at Cal State Northridge, emerged as one of the best defensive players in the Big Sky Conference last year. Here's a look at his 1998 accomplishments:

Set a school record with 15-1/2 sacks, topping Ken Wallace's mark of 14-1/2 set in 1990. He needs just two sacks this season to become school's career leader.

Selected the Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Week by ESPN/USA Today after registering eight tackles (seven solo) and four sacks against Southern Utah in week 4.

Picked Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week after getting nine tackles (eight solo) against Eastern Washington in week 3. Had a tackle for loss, then a sack in last minute to preserve the win.

TWO-DEEP ROSTER

DEFENSE

96 Erik Gardner 6-6 240 Jr. Hampered by injuries, looking to break out

92 Joseph Roberson 6-0 220 Jr. 26-year-old transfer from Pierce College

GUARD

95 Levi Line 6-3 275 Jr. Ex-Royal standout came on late in '98

55 Ryan Hourigan 6-3 255 Sr. Hart graduate will see playing time

NOSEGUARD

58 Quinton Reed 6-2 260 Sr. At 33, older than most CSUN coaches

90 Sean Beard 5-11 290 Sr. Leg injury ruined most of fall camp

50 Shawnbay Jones 6-3 265 Sr. Made impact last year with 6 sacks

93 Mike Colunga6-2 290 Sr. Only played in three games in '98

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER

1 Jack Heaslet 5-10 218 Sr. Among 35 tackles last year were 2 sacks

5 Kaleon Green 6-2 235 Sr. Hasn't played for CSUN since '97

INSIDE LINEBACKER

56 Cos Abercrombie 6-1 225 So. Broken jaw ruined promising '98 season

59 Patrick Cwik 6-1 260Sr. Seventh on team in tackles last year

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER

52 Brennen Swanson 6-3 230 Sr. All-American candidate had 15-1/2 sacks in '98

27 Isaac Gardner 6-2 190 Fr. Expected to miss opener with separated shoulder

CORNERBACK

3 Chazz Moore 6-3 210 Sr. Won't cover any WR in the Big Sky with his size

21 Karalus Doyle 5-11 180 Kennedy graduate attending his third college

STRONG SAFETY

24 Steve Forte 5-8 170 Sr. All-Big Sky honorable mention two years ago

15 Rahman Sparks 6-0 197 Sr. Little-used in '98, could start this season

FREE SAFETY

6 Hassan Abdul-Malik 5-10 185 So. Pulled hamstring early in camp, could miss opener

33 Travis Campbell 6-1 181 Fr. Top recruit out of Westlake learning quickly

CORNERBACK

2 Mel Miller 5-11 195 Sr. Teams with Moore for one of Big Sky's best DB combos

25 Jermaine Hunsaker 5-9 175 So. Washington State transfer hasn't disappointed

SPECIALISTS

PUNTER

88 Ethan Beck 6-4 200 Jr. Led Big Sky in punting average (40.0)

K9ICKER

26 Derek Brown 5-9 150 Fr. Still trying to prove himself

PUNT RETURNER

2 Terrence Jones 5-11 180 Sr. Could alternate with Forte

KICK RETURNERS

12 DeJuan Gilmore 5-8 204 Sr. 10th last year in Pac-10 in kickoff returns

18 Aaron Arnold 6-1 190 Sr. Averaged 22.5 yards per return in '98

CAPTION(S):

Photo, 2 Boxes

Photo: Brennen Swanson's dyslexia made academic pursuits difficult at Santa Ynez High, but he has turned things around while at Cal State Northridge and will start Saturday.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

Box: (1) SWAN SONG (See text)

(2) TWO-DEEP ROSTER (See text)