Manheim, Pa. — Catawba College senior offensive tackle Avery Swinton was named one of eight national finalists for the 2025 Gene Upshaw, presented to the top senior lineman in Division II Football, the Manheim Touchdown Club announced Friday afternoon.
 
Swinton is the first student-athlete in Catawba Football program history to be named a national semifinalist for the award.
 
The Jacksonville, Fla. native was named the 2025 South Atlantic Conference Jacobs Blocking Trophy award winner, bestowed upon the top offensive lineman in the league, as voted by the league's head coaches.
 
Swinton helped lead the Catawba Indians to the top offense in the SAC by total offense, while ranking ninth nationally. The offensive line unit helped Catawba to a perfect 6-0 record at home this season in which Catawba averaged 46 points per game across the Catawba Indians' six home victories.
 
The award is named in honor of the late Gene Upshaw, a standout offensive lineman at then-Texas A&I (now Texas A&M Kingsville), who was an All-Pro lineman with the Oakland Raiders and later served as the executive director of the NFL Players' Association for 25 years. The Gene Upshaw award honors the top senior or graduate student lineman on either side of the ball.
 
The final eight were selected from a group of 29 nominees and were voted by sports information directors across Division II. The winner will be announced Dec. 12.