Ryan Brett Grant (born December 9, 1982) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). Grant played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Notre Dame where he rushed for over 1,000 yards in his only year as the starting running back. He originally signed with the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2005 but never played a game for them. Shortly before the 2007 season, Grant was traded to the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
in exchange for a future sixth-round draft pick. He would go on to play for the Packers for six seasons.
Grant had a successful first season with the Packers,
rushing for almost 1,000 yards, including five 100+ yard games. He set franchise records with 201 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Packers' divisional playoff game win against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, as the Packers went on to reach the
NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
. Grant was also a member of the Packers
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champi ...
championship team that beat the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in 2010. He played for the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
for one month during the
2012 season before returning to the Packers to finish out the year and his NFL career.
Early years
Ryan Grant was born in
Suffern, New York
Suffern is a village that was incorporated in 1796 in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York. Suffern is located 31 miles northwest of Manhattan. As of the 2010 census, Suffern's population was 10,723.[Nyack, New York
Nyack () is a Village (New York), village located primarily in the Town (New York), town of Orangetown, New York, Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, Rockland County, New York (state), New York, United States. Incorporated in 1872, it retai ...]
, and attended
Don Bosco Prep
, motto_translation = To Increase in Knowledge and Grace
, accreditation = Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
, rival = Bergen Catholic High SchoolSaint Joseph Regional High School
, mascot =
, ma ...
in
Ramsey, New Jersey
Ramsey is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located northwest of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's popula ...
. He transferred to
Clarkstown South High School
Clarkstown High School South is a public high school located in West Nyack, New York, United States. The school educates students in grades 9 through 12, and is one of two high schools in the Clarkstown Central School District (CCSD). It is commo ...
near his hometown for one year before returning to Don Bosco.
In 2000, his senior year, ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' named him New Jersey Player of the Year. He rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and six
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
s in Don Bosco Prep's run to an 11–1 record and the state championship game,
which they lost to
Holy Cross High School. That season Grant played
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
as well, recording 61 tackles and 7 interceptions.
In high school, Grant also played basketball and competed in
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
, where he was timed at 10.7 seconds in the
100 meter dash
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...
.
College career
In 2001, Grant went to the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...
to play football for the
Fighting Irish
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 23 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...
while majoring in
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
and
computer applications
A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These progra ...
.
He made just a few appearances during his freshman year, playing in five games as the back-up to
Julius Jones under coach
Bob Davie during a 5–6 season.
Tyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone Willingham (born December 30, 1953) is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University (1995–2001), the University of Notre Dame (2002–2004), and the University of Washington (2005–2 ...
was named head coach for Grant's sophomore season and praised Grant for his attitude and desire to excel.
With Jones suspended for the 2002 season due to academic violations, Grant started all twelve games in 2002. He rushed for over 1,000 yards with nine touchdowns, including four games with over 100 yards.
Grant's best game during his time at Notre Dame came against #15 ranked
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
, as he gained 190 yards rushing and a touchdown in a 21–14 win. Notre Dame lost to
North Carolina State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
28–6 in the
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
. After peaking at #4 in late October, the team finished the season at 10–3 and ranked #17 on both the AP Poll and
Coaches' Poll
The Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. The football version of the poll has been known officially ...
.
The 2003 season saw Grant split time with Julius Jones. After starting the first five games, Grant only managed 242 rushing yards before being benched. Jones took over in the fifth game and ran for 262 yards and two touchdowns against
Pitt, a school record, in a 20–14 victory. After Jones' performance, Grant lost the starting job. He played as the backup in the final seven games, rushing for 268 yards; he finished his junior year with 510 yards and three touchdowns. Notre Dame finished the season 5–7.
During his senior year, Grant was named a team captain, but he split time with running back,
Darius Walker
Darius Adunte Walker (born October 21, 1985) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) and current college football analyst for Fox. He worked as a college football analyst and sideline reporter for Mountain ...
. Playing in nine games, Grant only gained over 100 yards once, with 112 yards and two touchdowns in a 27–9 win over
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
. After injuring his hamstring, Grant's playing time was limited and Walker took over the starting job.
Grant finished the year with 515 yards and 5 touchdowns,
and Notre Dame finished with a record of 6–6. For his collegiate career, Grant ran for a total of 2,220 yards and 18 touchdowns.
College statistics
Professional career
Grant applied for the
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The NFL draft, draft was held April 23–24, 2005 NFL seaso ...
after his senior year and was invited to the 2005
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footb ...
, a week-long showcase for NFL hopefuls. Scouts did not credit Grant with exceptional speed, but he was clocked at 4.43 seconds in the
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...
at the Combine.
New York Giants
Signing as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
,
Grant spent 2005 on the New York Giants
practice squad
In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...
. He missed the entire 2006 season, however, after a non-football related injury threatened his career and never played a regular season game for the Giants.
Grant was at a
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
when someone bumped into him; when he went to brace himself, his left arm went through several champagne glasses, severing an
artery
An artery (plural arteries) () is a blood vessel in humans and most animals that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.). Most arteries carry oxygenated blood; the two exceptions are the pul ...
, a
tendon
A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...
and the
ulnar nerve
In human anatomy, the ulnar nerve is a nerve that runs near the ulna bone. The ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint is in relation with the ulnar nerve. The nerve is the largest in the human body unprotected by muscle or bone, so injury is ...
in his left arm. Grant was at risk of bleeding to death and doctors at the time told him he might not regain the use of his left hand, although he did recover.
Green Bay Packers
Grant was
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...
d to the Packers on September 1, 2007 in exchange for a future sixth-round draft pick,
and he played as the third-string running back behind
Brandon Jackson and
DeShawn Wynn
DeShawn Wynn (born October 9, 1983) is an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was a member of their ...
for the first six games of the season. After Wynn suffered a shoulder injury in week 8, Grant took over in the second quarter against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
and ran for 104
yard
The yard (symbol: yd) is an English unit of length in both the British imperial and US customary systems of measurement equalling 3 feet or 36 inches. Since 1959 it has been by international agreement standardized as exactly 0.914 ...
s in a 19–13
overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:
*by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...
win. He scored his first rushing touchdown on November 11 in a 34–0 win against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. With these performances, Grant became the starting running back for the last seven weeks of the season. For the season, he averaged 5.1 yards per rush, had five 100+ yard games and eight rushing touchdowns. His mark of 929 yards in the final ten games of the season was second in the NFL for that time period to
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college career with the TCU Horned Frogs, the San Diego Chargers se ...
, who had 944 yards.
Grant was voted the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week twice in weeks 10 and 14.
In the Packers'
divisional playoff game against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, Grant
fumble
A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...
d twice in the first four minutes; both of the resulting drives led to touchdowns for the Seahawks. Despite the early deficit, the Packers were able to stage a comeback. Grant went on to rush for 201 yards and three touchdowns, both of which set franchise records for Packers' post-season games, as the Packers were 42–20 winners.
The following week, Grant rushed for only 29 yards in a 23–20 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the
NFC Championship game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
. He finished second overall for rushing yards in the 2007–08 playoffs with 230 yards, behind
Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney (born February 5, 1985) is a former American football running back who played five seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Minnesota and was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2 ...
.
At the end of the 2007 season, Grant became an
exclusive rights free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
. On August 4, 2008, he signed a four-year deal with the Packers worth up to $30 million. His first season under his new contract saw him run for 1,203 yards and score 5 total touchdowns. Even though he rushed for over a 1,000 yards, he averaged only 3.9 yards per attempt, the lowest figure of his career.
After the trade of longtime quarterback
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
before the start of the season, the Packers went 6–10 in 2008 and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
![Aaron Rodgers (12) hands off to Ryan Grant (25)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Aaron_Rodgers_%2812%29_hands_off_to_Ryan_Grant_%2825%29.jpg)
In 2009, Grant had a more productive year rushing for 1,253 yards, third in the
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference (NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference ...
(NFC), and scoring 11 touchdowns, second in the NFC. His average yards per carry rose to 4.4 and he added 25 catches for 197 yards.
Under starting quarterback
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...
, the Packers qualified for the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, but lost their
Wild Card game
The Wild Card Series (formerly known as Wild Card Game from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021) are games that serve as the opening round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Major League Baseball postseason, postseason. A single wild card game was first ...
to the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
in overtime 51–45. Grant rushed for 64 yards on 11 carries in the game, and caught 2 passes for 18 yards.
During the 2010 season opener against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
on September 12, 2010, Grant suffered a season-ending ankle injury and was placed on injured reserve after rushing for just 45 yards on eight carries.
He underwent ankle surgery on September 21, 2010, but was expected to be fully healthy by the start of the 2011 season. The Packers would go on to win the
Super Bowl that season against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. During the playoffs and Super Bowl, rookie running back
James Starks
James Darell Starks (born February 25, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Buffalo and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was a member of their Super Bo ...
emerged as a new rushing threat for the Packers. In four playoff games, Starks rushed for 315 yards and a touchdown.
Grant returned to the Packers healthy after his ankle surgery in time for the 2011 season. After Starks' success in the playoffs, the Packers chose to use both running backs equally throughout the year. Grant would go on to run for 559 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2011.
The Packers went 15–1 during the regular season and made the playoffs as the top-seeded team in the NFC; however, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. Grant became a free agent at the expiration of his contract at the end of the season.
Washington Redskins
After a workout with the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
,
Grant signed with the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
on September 25, 2012, a few weeks into the season after
Roy Helu
Roy Ziegler Helu Jr. (born December 7, 1988) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska.
Helu set the Redskins' franc ...
was placed on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
. He was released just a month later on October 23, 2012. With the Redskins, Grant had just one rushing attempt for five yards and no receptions.
Return to Green Bay
On December 5, 2012, Grant re-signed with the Packers following a season-ending knee injury to James Starks. Grant was back in uniform with the Packers the following week for their home game against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. Upon his return to the Packers, Grant rushed for 132 yards on 32 carries for a 4.1 yard average during the regular season. He added two rushing touchdowns and one reception for 34 yards.
At the end of the season he became a free agent. Although at least one team expressed interest, Grant ended up never signing with another team and retired from the NFL.
Career statistics
Grant taking a handoff during a game against the on October 5, 2008.">alt=Close up image of Ryan Grant running with the football after a handoff.
;Regular season
;Playoffs
Personal life
After his NFL career, Grant opened a cafe in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, called AP Coffee.
Grant has also taken part in Packers alumni activities, including visiting troops at
Fort McCoy in 2019 during the 14th annual Packers Tailgate Tour.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Ryan
1982 births
Living people
American football running backs
Don Bosco Preparatory High School alumni
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players
People from Nyack, New York
Players of American football from New York (state)
New York Giants players
Green Bay Packers players
Washington Redskins players
Sportspeople from the New York metropolitan area