Phillip Dowden (Evangel Sports Information) SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Former Evangel University football captain Stephen Swillum passed away Tuesday morning, December 20, 2016. He was 26.
The funeral has been set under the direction of the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon, will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 26, 2016, at the Freedom Christian Center, south of Mt. Vernon with burial to follow at the Davis Cemetery east of Miller. Memorial donations may be made to the Freedom Christian Center, in care of the funeral home.
Swillum was a team captain at linebacker for the Crusaders from 2009 to 2012 and graduated with a degree in business education. He finished his career with 195 tackles and 20.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks.
A four-year letter winner for the Crusaders, he was the second-leading tackler as a senior adding 81 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He joined Evangel after a standout career at Mt. Vernon with the Mountaineers where he was a Class 3 All-State selection and also earned All-Big 8 Conference, All-District and Academic All-State accolades.
“First and foremost, Stephen was a really great guy and he knew who he was. He was a competitor and made himself into a really good player,” recalled by Evangel assistant football coach and former teammate Edward Sands.
“He was loved by many and a friend to all. He will truly be missed by his Crusader family.”
