Former SRU wideouts Sweeting, Wynn getting cracks at pros
Cinque Sweeting played the waiting game. Jermaine Wynn seemed to have moved on.
The next time the former Slippery Rock University standout wide receivers get the chance to suit up and step on a field will be in the professional ranks.
Sweeting was recently brought on by the XFL’s Vegas Vipers, while Wynn will head north to play for the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes. They join former teammate Henry Litwin as Rock pass-catchers to get a shot at the next level.
In the past year, Sweeting had worked out with the NFL’s New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, and Miami Dolphins. At the behest of his agent, Sweeting turned down opportunities with teams in the USFL and CFL.
“We both decided that the XFL was probably the best option for me to play on a professional level,” he said. “He reached out to a couple of teams and stuff like that. I mean, there was already some interest buzzing from just me coming out of college.”
He had workouts with the Orlando Guardians and the Vegas Vipers. He was drafted by the latter in November, receiving the news from former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro defensive back and Vipers head coach Rod Woodson.
“It was a huge call when I got the call,” Sweeting said. “Just seeing your name pop up and getting drafted, it’s definitely a big accomplishment, but the job is far from finished.”
Sweeting has wasted no time getting ready for the spring. He recently flew out to San Diego to work out with teammate Luis Perez — a journeyman passer who won the Harlon Hill Trophy at Texas A&M-Commerce in 2017 and has spent time in numerous pro leagues, including the last iteration of the XFL.
“We had a nice little throwing session for about three days,” Sweeting said. “It was just good to be back around football. We even went over some plays and things like that. Just being around the guys and forming that brotherhood early, there’s no better feeling.”
One that he hasn’t had in some time, too.
SRU coach Shawn Lutz said that Sweeting’s defining moment at The Rock was after Wynn went down in the team’s national playoff game against Notre Dame (Ohio). He went for 164 yards and a score on nine grabs and also brought a kick back 95 yards for a touchdown.
As he made known his talents, Wynn began what he called one of the toughest stretches he’d ever had. The impact injury he suffered, with an uncommon combination of torn knee ligaments — his ACL and LCL — was so traumatic that a blood clot formed in his calf muscle. He had to wait for it to dissolve before getting surgery, a delay that lasted until February.
Wynn eventually took a job as a campaign manager for a marketing firm, opening shop as a vendor for promotional events that companies such AT&T, Apple, and Samsung would hold at wholesale retailers. He did well in that role, climbing sales charts, but his heart wasn’t fully in it.
"Taking that job was kind of me saying, ‘It’s time to go professional and get into a career,’” Wynn said. “I was getting nice checks, but honestly, it never felt fulfilling.”
As he watched on television, he knew he had more to offer on the field. The fire never stopped burning and — a few months ago — the Alouettes reached out to let him know he was on their radar. Wynn opened up about what it meant to him to have another chance.
“There was a large part of my recovery where I felt like I wouldn’t play football again,” Wynn said. “The calls went away. The articles stopped being written about me. It felt like everything just came crashing down … Just to be on a roster right now and know that I still have value out there in the football world, it’s created a real big jump in motivation for me.”
It’s a welcome sight for those who know what he’s capable of, namely Lutz.
“I’m glad that he wants to chase that dream and he recovered from that,” the coach said. “It speaks volumes about what he’s all about and what he can bring to the table, as well.”
Both guys hope the opportunities bring them closer to playing on Sundays, at the sport’s highest level.
“The first thing, of course, is winning a championship,” Sweeting said. “The rest will definitely take care of itself. I believe winning always puts you in a better position to achieve your goals … Winning always puts more eyes on you.”
“That’s what we try to tell our recruits when they come here,” Lutz said. “You can play on the big stage, winning always helps, and also having good quarterbacks really helps out the cause, as well.”
Sweeting has been training in Boca Raton, Fla., at former Dolphins wideout Chris Chambers’ facility. Heading into only his third season as a receiver, he’s had a chance to sharpen his abilities with reps and pointers from the 10-year NFL veteran.
After months of rehab, Wynn is nearly at full strength — a dangerous sight for whoever is tasked with guarding him.
“You’re basically taking a knee that you worked your whole life to get strong and, when you tear it, it’s like it returns to the strength of a baby’s,” he said. “At this point, honestly, I’d say I’m really, really close to being the form that I was pre-injury.”
Wynn sits second on the school’s list in receptions per game and touchdown grabs, and third in receiving yards and receptions. In just two seasons at The Rock, Sweeting climbed to 10th on the program’s list in touchdown catches and total receptions.
“It just goes to show how special we were as unit,” Wynn said of the positions he and Sweeting find themselves in now. “You can go look at the numbers, you can go look at the film, you can go look at the production … I’m a little biased, but I think we’re the best receiving group that’s ever come out of Slippery Rock. Cinque and I receiving these opportunities are just a testament of the work we put in when in college.”
“It was like video game numbers,” Lutz said. “It was so easy to play offensive football that way. Because, if you stop Litwin, you go to Cinque. If you stop Cinque, you go to Jermaine. I don’t know if I’ll ever have a trio of playmakers like that ever at this level of Division II football.”
