From Walk-On to Big Ten Leader: Bioengineering Major Carson Schwesinger is Team Captain of UCLA Football, Semifinalist for Butkus Award and Burlsworth Trophy

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UCLA Athletics

UCLA Football linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) ranks as one of the top tacklers in the Big Ten and FBS.

Nov 15, 2024

UCLA Samueli

R edshirt junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger joined the UCLA football program in 2021 as a walk-on after a stellar two-way career in high school. The fourth-year bioengineering major at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering is now one of the most dominant college linebackers in the country, leading the Big Ten Conference in total tackles per game (10.2) and solo tackles (59). He is a front-runner for the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award, logging more than 90 tackles thus far in the season.

Nicknamed “Captain America” by his teammates, the 6’2″, 225 lb. team captain just nailed his first career interception — actually make that two — in addition to seven tackles in the Nov. 8 homecoming game against Iowa. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after the Bruins’ win over the Hawkeyes. 

UCLA was a university I had always aspired to attend growing up,” Carson Schwesinger said. “It provided the best opportunities in both my academic and athletic pursuits.”

Growing up as the middle kid in a family of five children in Moorpark, California, Schwesinger was active in sports early on. He was coached by his father, Dennis, who told people Carson was 6 years old instead of 5 so Carson could qualify for the minimum age requirement and play in the same flag football league with his older brother Ethan, and so that Dennis could coach them together. Even as Schwesinger progressed to tackle, he continued to compete against older kids, losing only one game throughout his childhood under his father’s coaching. He continued to play football in high school on the Oaks Christian Varsity Football team as a receiver and safety.

But it wasn’t all about sports for Schwesinger. He has always been fascinated by the science behind how the world works and was inspired by his older sister, Payton, who studied physiological science at UCLA and is now on track to receive her MBA from San Diego State University. “Seeing my sister’s dedication and achievements opened my eyes to the possibilities in STEM and showed me that with hard work, I could also make an impact,” he said.

When it came time to apply for college, Schwesinger picked UCLA as his top choice. Not only is the Westwood campus close to home, but it also offers both a top-tier bioengineering program and a chance for him to compete in Division I football. “UCLA was a university I had always aspired to attend growing up,” he said. “It provided the best opportunities in both my academic and athletic pursuits.” 

Carson Schwesinger

But there was a catch: He would have to earn his spot. Walking on without a scholarship, Schwesinger was committed to proving himself. He caught the attention of then-the Bruins special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach and now defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe at practice and was given an opportunity to try out on the scout team for special teams. And he didn’t disappoint, making plays after plays with every opportunity he got. He earned a promotion his redshirt freshman season in 2022 and a scholarship.

“It’s very impressive that Carson is able to balance his huge football commitment with rigorous bioengineering courses,” said UCLA Samueli bioengineering professor Daniel Kamei, who taught two of Schwesinger’s courses last year. “I believe it’s a testament to his hard work ethic.”

Schwesinger credits UCLA’s wealth of resources and his teammates, especially his roommates who are all tight ends, for helping him stay grounded. Living and training with them, he says, has created a tight-knit bond that’s been crucial to his journey.

Between early-morning practices and grueling game schedules that involve a lot of travel, Schwesinger immerses himself in bioengineering coursework. It’s not uncommon to find him studying on flights to away games or watching game footage while working through engineering assignments.

“Balancing sports and academics is challenging, but it’s incredibly rewarding and sets you up for success beyond college,” he said. “The focus and discipline required to succeed on the field translates well into my academic life.”Carson Schwesinger

This season, Schwesinger has more than lived up to the role of a star player on the team. His relentless defense has helped the Bruins secure key victories. He is UCLA’s leading tackler in seven of nine games and has a streak of six straight double-digit tackle performances, which is the longest by a Bruin since Eric Kendricks’ Butkus Award-winning 2014 season. These standout performances recently earned him a nod as a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation’s top college linebacker, and for the Burlsworth Trophy awarded to the nation’s top college football player who began his career as a walk-on. In the hard-fought win over Iowa’s formidable running game, Schwesinger’s interceptions were the momentum shifters that clinched the Bruins’ third straight win.

“Moments like those make all the hard work worth it,” Schwesinger said. On the field, his love for the game is evident in every tackle and each play that sees him firing up his teammates. And his efforts have not gone unnoticed. After posting impressive individual stats even as the team struggled in the early part of the season, Schwesinger was featured in the Los Angeles Times Oct. 31. The UCLA Athletics Department posted a video on YouTube highlighting his many outstanding plays. And he’s been interviewed on the Bruin Insider Show and the Big Ten Network’s B1G Today program

“We see it every day. The way that (Schwesinger) plays this game and the way that he approaches it, it’s all in his training,” said UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster, in his Oct. 19 postgame press conference at Rutgers. “He’s truly a captain on this team. People respond to him. He might not say much, but actions speak louder than words and they try to follow the way that he leads.”

On track to graduate next spring unless he chooses to exercise his option to play another year, Schwesinger says he hopes to play football professionally but hasn’t lost sight of his academic roots. Even if football remains his primary focus, he plans to keep his engineering skills sharp.

“I’m interested in areas like medical devices and wearable electronics,” he said, a vision that hints at the intersection of science and sport. Schwesinger says his dream is to innovate in bioengineering to help athletes reach peak performance while staying safe on the field.

Schwesinger’s advice for aspiring student-athletes is simple: stay organized, remember your goals and enjoy the process. “Keep sight of your long-term goals,” he said. “The dedication and resilience you build now will pay off both on the field and in your future career.”

All photo credits: UCLA Athletics