FS, 5-11, 182

SR-3L

Stone Mountain, Ga.

(Stephenson HS)

OUTLOOK: It has been a long road back for Grant since suffering a devastating ACL injury late last season. A former cornerback, Grant made the transition to free safety and started the first nine games of the 2006 season at his new position before injuring his left knee at South Carolina. If the spring is any indication, the former track and field star certainly appears to be on the right path to make a successful return to the gridiron this fall. He didn’t show many ill effects from his injury, although he was held out of contact work in the spring. Grant combines sprinter’s speed with good ball skills to give the Hogs a safety that can be in position and then make the play. Athlon Sports named him to its pre-season second-team All-SEC squad. He enters pre-season camp as the returning starter at free safety.

2006: He was Arkansas’ starting free safety for the first nine games of 2006 before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in his left knee in the Razorbacks’ win at South Carolina. The former cornerback made the transition to free safety and provided the Hogs with sprinter speed at that position. He didn’t return after the injury and spent the rest of the campaign rehabilitating. In his time on the field, he earned 41 tackles, including 29 solo stops and 12 assisted stops. He earned at least one tackle in all nine outings including seven performances of four or more stops. He intercepted three passes on the season with all of them coming against Louisiana-Monroe. Despite missing the final five games of the season, he tied for the team lead in interceptions. He broke up three passes on the year and was credited with one tackle for loss (-50). – Grant opened the season with six total stops - four solo - against USC. He was on the field for 77 of the Trojans’ 80 offensive plays. He accounted for four tackles in a non-conference win over Utah State. He tallied seven tackles – including six solo - at Vanderbilt. He made five tackles with three solo stops in Arkansas’ 24-23 double-overtime win against Alabama. He registered four solo stops and an assist at No. 2 Auburn. He helped lead a Hogs’ secondary that allowed just 153 yards on 29 passing attempts against the Tigers. He logged one solo tackle and broke up a pass against Southeast Missouri State on just 28 snaps in the Hogs’ blowout win. Grant made four solo tackles in 43 plays against Ole Miss. One of his tackles against the Rebels came on special teams. He was named the co-Hogwired.com Defensive Player of the Week following his seven-tackle, three-interception game against Louisiana-Monroe. It was the second-most interceptions in a game in school history and the first UA player with three since former Razorback player and then-UA assistant coach Louis Campbell picked off three in the 1971 Liberty Bowl. Grant led all UA defensive backs in tackles and posted the second-highest tackle total of his career against the Warhawks. He chased down and tackled a ULM punt team member at the Warhawks' 10-yard line after an errant snap on a punt attempt in the first quarter. The play went for a loss of 50 yards and set up a UA touchdown. He helped spearhead a UA defense that yielded only 10 points and 114 yards rushing in the non-conference win. He earned his ninth-consecutive start at free safety in a road game at South Carolina. He tallied two solo tackles before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in the third quarter. He injured his left knee while leaping in an attempt to break up a pass to the end zone. He underwent surgery in the coming weeks and didn’t return to the field for the remainder of the campaign.

2005: He played in all 11 games as a sophomore earning significant time in the UA secondary in nickel and dime packages and as a member of the Hogs’ kickoff coverage unit. He racked up 22 tackles, including 13 solo stops, two tackles for loss (-15), one sack (-13) and one forced fumble. He tied for second on the squad with three interceptions and seven pass break ups. His 0.27 interceptions-per-game average ranked tied for sixth in the SEC and tied for 68th in the nation in that category. He earned at least one tackle in 10 of 11 games and multiple stops in seven contests. Three of his season tackles came on special teams. – He recorded two solo tackles and a pass deflection in the season opener against Missouri State. He also snared the first interception of his career in the fourth quarter to stop the Bears’ final offensive drive inside the Razorback 20-yard line. He tallied another three tackles and a pass break up against Vanderbilt. He garnered one solo tackle in the Razorbacks’ road loss at No. 1 USC. He netted another three tackles and a pass deflection at Alabama. He earned a season-high four tackles in the Hogs’ non-conference win over Louisiana-Monroe. One of his two solo tackles came on a shoe-string stop on special teams that saved a big play for the Indians. He played but did not make a tackle against Auburn. In a return to his home state, he recorded one assisted tackle and picked up his second interception of the season at No. 4 Georgia. He picked off a pass at the Bulldogs’ 34-yard line early in the fourth quarter putting the Hogs in position for a game-tying touchdown. Despite the good field position, Arkansas failed to net points after a missed field goal attempt. Against South Carolina, he garnered two tackles and racked up a career-high three pass break ups. He broke up one pass and made one assisted tackle at Ole Miss. He turned in a superb effort in the Razorbacks’ win over Mississippi State. He made three solo stops including two tackles for loss (-15) and earned his first career sack (-13) and caused a fumble on the Bulldogs’ final offensive play of the game. In addition, Grant intercepted his third ball of the season to set up a UA field goal. At No. 3 LSU, he tallied a solo and assisted tackle in the Razorbacks’ 19-17 loss in Baton Rouge.

2005 (Track and Field): In his first year on the track team, he was a key contributor in the sprinting events, earning an SEC and NCAA event title and an All-America honor.  At the SEC Indoor Championships he ran the second leg of the winning distance medley relay team (9:46.91). During the outdoor campaign he posted a season-best and regional qualifying 100-meter time of 10.41 and his best 200-meter performance was 21.30.  He handled the opening leg of the 4x100-meter relay team that broke a 20-year school record to win the NCAA Mideast Region with a time of 38.75.  At the NCAA Outdoor Championships that same team went on to capture Arkansas’ first title in the event with a UA record time of 38.49 and Grant became the first two-sport athlete since Clyde Scott in 1948 to win a national event title.

2004: He played in all 11 games in his true freshman season as a cornerback and a member of the UA special teams. He racked up 29 tackles with all but five of his stops being of the solo variety. He made two or more tackles in five contests. He ranked second on the squad with nine special teams tackles. He also recovered a fumble on special teams. He earned his first career start against No. 6 Georgia and garnered a career-high eight tackles against the team that he originally signed with out of high school.  – He tallied two solo tackles in his first career game against New Mexico State. He played on special teams, but did not earn a tackle against Texas. He earned three tackles, including two solo stops, in the Hogs’ non-conference win over Louisiana-Monroe. Against Alabama, he garnered one solo stop. He played extensively in the secondary in the second half of the Florida game earning two solo tackles and his first career tackle for loss (-4). He played significant snaps (45) and responded by racking up six tackles, including four solo stops, in the Hogs’ 38-20 loss to No. 4 Auburn. He earned his first collegiate start against No. 6 Georgia. He boasted a career high in tackles for the second consecutive week with eight tackles, including seven solo stops, against the Bulldogs. He made two tackles including a tackle for loss (-3) against South Carolina. His tackle for loss came after teammate Elliott Harris blocked a USC punt and then a Gamecock player scooped up the ball and tried to advance it. It was his second TFL of the season. He also appeared to have his first career fumble recovery on kickoff coverage against the Gamecocks, but an inadvertent whistle resulted in a re-kick. He tallied one solo tackle in the Hogs’ 35-3 win over Ole Miss. He earned two tackles (one solo) against Mississippi State. He tallied two solo tackles and the first pass deflection of his career in the Razorbacks’ season-ending loss to No. 12 LSU.

HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: A two-sport standout at Stephenson High School for Coach Ron Gartrell, he originally signed with Georgia before inking with the Razorbacks in June 2004.  SuperPrep selected him to both its All-America and All-Dixie teams. He was named to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super 11 team, Super Southern 100 squad and 5A all-state team. He also earned all-state accolades from the Georgia Sports Writers Association. He played cornerback as a freshman and sophomore, but moved to safety as a junior and senior. Rivals.com included him in its Southeast Elite and Georgia Top 50 squads and ranked him as the No. 10 athlete in the nation and the No. 9 overall player in Georgia. Fox Sports Net and The Insiders.com named him to their All-South first teams. TheInsiders.com also included him on its South Hot 100 listing. As a senior, he scored two rushing touchdowns, had one punt return for a touchdown of 78 yards, one kickoff return for a score of 97 yards and one interception return for a touchdown. He was selected to play in Georgia’s North-South All-Star game. As a senior he was named to the USA Today All-USA Boys Track and Field team. He won the Class 5A 100-meter (10.57) and 200-meter dash (21.23) state titles as a junior. He was also a member of a state championship 400-meter relay. He defended his 100-meter crown (10.71) as a senior while finishing second (21.44) in the 200-meter dash.

PERSONAL: Born March 30, 1986, he is the son of Victoria Grant. He is enrolled in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and is majoring in sociology.