"I always do my wrist tape," he said. "It's not really a big superstitious thing I just think it looks good."
Aesthetics aside, Schwieger always delivers. In Saturday's game against Columbia, he broke Dartmouth's single-game rushing record and led the Big Green to its first win in nearly two years.
Schwieger's 242 yards topped the previous record of 229 yards set by Al Rosier '91 in a game against Brown in 1991. A 200-yard game has only been achieved five other times in the history of Dartmouth football.
After the victory, Schwieger was recognized for his record-breaking day with Offensive Player of the Week accolades from both Ivy League football and The Sports Network.
Schwieger's 66-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was the longest of his career, and the longest run for a Big Green player since a 79-yard dash by Shon Page '90 against Harvard in 1990. Schwieger also tallied 25- and 35-yard runs during the contest.
Neither head coach Buddy Teevens nor Schwieger himself had predicted the record-breaking day, or even thought about it during the game.
"I had really no idea where his numbers were," Teevens said. "I just knew he was running the ball well, so we kept feeding him."
Schwieger similarly said that he had never considered that particular record.
"I didn't know I broke it until they announced it over the loudspeaker," he said. "Everybody wants to break records, but I didn't think [Saturday] would be the day."
In an interview with The Dartmouth, Rosier said that he was glad to hear that his record had been broken.
"I was excited that [the team was] able to have such a good running back and a nice strong running game," Rosier said. "It was obviously a career day for Schwieger, and hopefully [the team] can use that as a springboard for the rest of the year."
When Rosier set the record during his senior year, the Big Green had Jay Fiedler '94 at quarterback, who went on to start in the NFL for several years.
Current coach Buddy Teevens also headed the Dartmouth team when Rosier set the record and said that, although the two backs have different styles, Schwieger and Rosier would get along well because of their humble personalities and strong work ethics.
"[Schwieger's] a consummate team player and always the first to give praise to others," Teevens said. "He does what we ask him to do, and never looks to take a practice off."
After recovering from a leg injury that sidelined him for much the second part of last season, Schwieger is healthy and strong this year, described as "physical" and "powerful" by his coach.
He has already notched 608 total yards over 129 carries this year, with still four games left to go.
Rosier's season rushing record of 1432 yards is still safe for now. As Schwieger develops, however, he will only get better. That is the nature of a back, Teevens said.
"As backs progress, they're more comfortable and more experienced, and they improve," Teevens said. "[Schwieger] is a committed athlete and football player. That's who he is and what he'll do."
A native of Norton, Mass., which is located in prime Patriots territory, Schwieger said that he is a born-and-bred New England sports fan, citing the Red Sox and Celtics as favorites along with his football heroes.
"I love Tom Brady, love Randy Moss," Schwieger said. "Who wouldn't?"
At Bishop Feehan High School, Schwieger was a four-year letter winner in track as well as a football star, and also played basketball. He considered running sprints at Dartmouth before deciding to focus solely on football, he said.
"I thought about running track for a while in college, maybe doing the [100-meter dash] or the [4x100-meter relay] here or something like that, but I really got dedicated to football," Schwieger said. "Track was a hobby, but football is where my heart is."
The jump to collegiate football took some getting used to, Schwieger said, for various reasons. His high school team won the Massachusetts state championship in 2007, which made the transition to the Big Green's struggles even more frustrating. Schwieger also cited the increased level of play at the collegiate level as an added challenge.
"In high school, if you're a standout, you're a standout," he said. "Here, they're all right behind me at the running back position, and we're competing every day at practice."
Despite being recruited by Ivy powerhouse Harvard and larger programs like the University of New Hampshire, Schwieger said that Dartmouth was a clear choice after meeting Teevens and having fun on his official visit to the College.
Teevens, who served as the head coach at Stanford University and as running backs coach at the University of Florida, said that Schwieger would fit in well in any program.
"[Football] is important to him, he's tough to bring down and his field vision is great," Teevens said. "He would be a very productive guy anywhere."
Schwieger and the Big Green will take on Harvard at noon on Saturday in Cambridge, Mass.
