This Gamecock alum plays hard with nothing to play for and fills NFL stat sheet

Don’t tell D.J. Swearinger there’s nothing to play for.

Even though the Washington Redskins have been eliminated from playoff contention, the former South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back played all out Sunday.

Swearinger had four tackles, one pass defended and an interception in Washington’s 27-11 win over the Denver Broncos.

On the pick, Swearinger took advantage of a poor pass by Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler. Swearinger was the only player near the wobbly pass, and even the safety had to contort his body to get his hands on the ball before falling to the ground.

The Greenwood native is enjoying the best season of his NFL career. He had a two interception game against the playoff-bound Minnesota Vikings in November. He followed that with a third consecutive quarter with as many interceptions the next week against the New Orleans Saints, who will also be in the postseason.

With one game remaining in the season, Swearinger has four interceptions, 68 tackles and 10 passes defended.

This is Swearinger’s first season with Washington, which is his fourth NFL team. After being drafted in the second round by the Houston Texans in 2013, Swearinger has had stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals.

In five seasons, Swearinger has 10 interceptions, 298 tackles, 29 passes defended and five forced fumbles.

Swearinger played for the Gamecocks from 2009-12, when he had six interceptions and three touchdowns, in addition to being named All-SEC second team as a senior.

This story was originally published December 24, 2017 at 4:59 PM with the headline "This Gamecock alum plays hard with nothing to play for and fills NFL stat sheet."