gmann001
Cheesehead
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Who is Ryan Grant?
Last season, everyone wanted to learn more about this Tony Romo guy who was playing quarterback for the Cowboys, and now he's got Dallas sitting atop the NFC East. Well, maybe we should examine a key player who looks to be a factor for the other 8-1 team in the NFC -- Green Bay running back Ryan Grant.
Grant rushed for 80 yards in the first quarter against Minnesota and finished with 119 yards against the NFL's second-ranked rushing defense. For all the troubles the Packers have had with the run game, Grant has emerged as the answer. And while he seems to have come out of nowhere, his pedigree isn't bad at all.
Grant was USA Today's New Jersey high school player of the year, a sprinter on the track team and a very good basketball player. He went to Notre Dame, where he played as a true freshman in 2001 and then started 13 games in 2002, rushing for more than 1,000 yards. In 2003, he ended up splitting time with Julius Jones. Injuries shortened his 2004 season, though he still was a part-time starter. At the 2005 combine, Grant checked in at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds and ran a 4.52 40. He was not drafted, but he signed a free-agent deal with the Giants -- for whom he spent 2005 on the practice squad and 2006 on injured reserve.
Give a lot of credit to Ted Thompson and John Dorsey in Green Bay's front office. Obviously, they remembered Grant from what he did at Notre Dame. The Packers initially offered kicker Dave Rayner to the Giants in a trade, but ended up giving New York a late draft pick for Grant. It's shaping up to be a big steal.
link to NFL.com story