Jim Schwantz
| No. 65, 52, 59 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 23, 1970 Arlington Heights, Illinois, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Fremd (Palatine, Illinois) |
| College: | Purdue |
| Undrafted: | 1992 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |
James William Schwantz (born January 23, 1970) is an American politician and former football player who is the mayor of Palatine, Illinois. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.
Early years
Schwantz attended William Fremd High School, where he was a two-way player in football. He received All-state, All-conference and the coaches top defensive player in Northwest Chicago honors as a senior.[1]
He had a .501 batting average as a sophomore on the baseball team and also started on the basketball team.
College career
Schwantz accepted a football scholarship from
He suffered a broken foot during the summer, sidelining him until the start of his junior season and contributing to him having an off year, finishing with 83 tackles.[2]
As a senior, he was switched to
At the time, he ended his college eligibility with 363 career tackles (sixth in school history), 18 career sacks (school record), 11 sacks in a season (school record) and 43 career tackles for loss (second in school history).
Professional career
Chicago Bears (first stint)
Schwantz was signed as an
On August 30, 1993, he was released after preseason and signed to the practice squad.[4] On August 28, 1994, he was traded to the defending Super Bowl champions the Dallas Cowboys, in exchange for a sixth round draft choice (#201-Hayward Clay).[5]
Dallas Cowboys
In
In
In
In 1997, he was declared a restricted free agent at the end of the season and although he was seen as a valuable player, the Cowboys had serious salary cap problems and could only tender him a qualifying offer at his original undrafted signing. On April 14, the San Francisco 49ers signed him to a four-year offer sheet for $2 million that included a $600,000 signing bonus, that the Cowboys chose not to match and did not receive any compensation.[7]
San Francisco 49ers
In
Chicago Bears (second stint)
On August 29,
Schwantz played in 78 career games (no starts) and was credited with 39 defensive tackles, amounting to half a tackle per game.
Mayor of Palatine
On February 25, 2008, Schwantz declared his intention to run for mayor of the Village of Palatine, Illinois
On April 7, 2009, he secured 42% of the vote, defeating 20-year incumbent Rita Mullins, who ended up placing a distant third in a four-way mayoral race. Schwantz was sworn into office as Mayor of Palatine on May 4, 2009.[12] He has been re-elected three times, running unopposed in 2013, 2017 and 2021, and his current term expires in 2025.[13] [14]
Personal life
Schwantz is a contributor to the WBBM 780AM Chicago Bears broadcast team along with former players Jay Hilgenberg and Tom Thayer. He is the only one of the three who was not on the 1985 Bears team that won Super Bowl XX.
References
- ^ "Football". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Speed should help UW vs. Boilermakers". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Ex-fremd Star Just Wants Shot At NFL". 5 January 1992. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Transactions". The New York Times. 31 August 1993. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Bears Keep 7 Backs". 29 August 1994. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Pro Bowl Teams". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "NEWSWIRE". Los Angeles Times. 15 April 1997. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Release of Schwantz may leave sizable hole on special teams". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Special Teams Boosted By Milburn, Schwantz". 30 August 1998. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "New Look For Bears' Special Teams". 4 September 1998. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Transactions". The New York Times. 19 August 1999. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Ex-Chicago Bear, now mayor, Jim Schwantz looks to call the right plays for Palatine". 27 May 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Mayor - Jim Schwantz". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Mayor - Jim Schwantz". Retrieved July 19, 2023.