John Grant, Jr.

John Christopher Grant, Jr. (born November 7, 1974) is a professional lacrosse player for the Colorado Mammoth in the National Lacrosse League and the Denver Outlaws in Major League Lacrosse.

Personal

Grant is the son of a former star of the original Philadelphia Wings and the Ontario Lacrosse Association, John Grant, Sr. He has a physical education degree from the University of Delaware. He is married to Raygen Rogers. He has one child, a girl, named Gabrayel Louise Grant, born March 14, 2010.

OLA career

Grant began his Ontario Lacrosse Association career with the Peterborough Lakers in the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League. He was named the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League Most Valuable Player 1994, and was the league's top scorer in the in 1993, 1994, and 1995. In 1995, Grant moved up to the Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) with the Peterborough Lakers, where he won the Top Rookie of the Year award. In 2000, Grant won the MSL Most Valuable Player award. In 2002 and 2003, Grant moved west, playing in the Western Lacrosse Association with the Coquitlam Adanacs earning All-Star recognition.

Grant came back to the Peterborough Lakers in 2004, and led the team to a Mann Cup victory, earning the Mike Kelly Memorial Trophy as the competition's Most Valuable Player. In 2006 and 2007, Grant again won the Mann Cup as a member of the Lakers, earning his second Mann Cup MVP Mike Kelly Memorial Trophy in 2007.^[1]

Grant suited up for the Peterborough Lakers of Major Series Lacrosse on July 9, 2009, a surprisingly early comeback from his surgery.^[2] In 2010, Grant and the Peterborough Lakers won the Mann Cup once again, beating out the New Westminster Salmonbellies.

College career

Grant played for the University of Delaware for two years, with the Blue Hens compiling a 23 and 8 record during his time there. He transferred to Delaware from Junior College after first considering transferring to Syracuse. Grant was drafted by the Buffalo Bandits in 1995, but was never signed opting instead to attend college at SUNY Morrisville, where he stayed for two years. Grant made the USILA All-American team his junior season with the Blue Hens, but really attracted national attention his senior year.

In 1999, Delaware had seven wins against teams ranked in the top twenty. Also in 1999, Grant set single-season school records for assists (54) and points (110). The 110 points currently ranks seventh on the NCAA Individual Single-Season Leaders list. Additionally in 1999, he was named the USILA National Collegiate Player of the Year and led the country in assists and points. He earned USILA Division I Player of the Year honors and was awarded the Jack Turnbull Award as National Attackman of the Year. In addition, he was Delaware’s first USILA First Team All-American. John led the school to its first ever NCAA lacrosse quarterfinal appearance as well as its first 14 win season, with victories over perennial lacrosse powers North Carolina, Navy and Towson.^[3]

Grant currently stands seventh in NCAA Division I single season Total Points, 11th in career Points-Per-Game and 12th in career Goals-Per-Game. He was the last Division I player to average more than 6 points-per-game for an entire season (1999), until Lyle Thompson did this in 2013.

NLL career

Grant was drafted by the Buffalo Bandits in the third round of the 1995 MILL Entry Draft. He was never signed by the Bandits, opting instead to attend college, re-entered the draft four years later when he was drafted first overall by the Rochester Knighthawks in the 1999 NLL Entry Draft, and was named NLL Rookie of the Year for the 2000 season. He holds several franchise records including most goals (347) and most points (719). Grant is also tied for fifth all-time in goals, third in assists per game and 12th in points in NLL history. He has some of the team's single-season records too, including: Most goals (54), most assists (60), and most points (111). Grant is also the team's all-time leader in playoff goals (47) and points (82).

In 2007 Grant set a National Lacrosse League record with 15 points in a single game (9 goals, 6 assists) in a win over the New York Titans, since broken by Mark Steenhuis. He was recognized with Overall Player of the Week Honors^[4] for his record-breaking achievement. After the regular season, Grant was named the 2007 NLL MVP, and then on May 12, 2007, Grant capped off his extraordinary season by being named Champion's Cup game MVP, as the Knighthawks defeated the Arizona Sting 13-11 to win their second championship. On May 25, 2007, Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy awarded Grant the Key to the City in recognition of the Knighthawks' championship.

Grant missed the entire 2009 season after having emergency surgery to remove an infection in his knee.^[5] In 2010, Grant returned to form playing in 15 of his teams 16 games, though Rochester missed the playoffs.

On October 27, 2010, Grant (plus defender Mac Allen) was traded to the Colorado Mammoth in exchange for 2010 NLL Goaltender of the Year Matt Vinc, plus transition players Matt Zash and Brad Self.^[6] Draft picks were also exchanged in the trade, which the Knighthawks said they executed to alleviate the effects of an aging roster, despite being reluctant to deal Grant after such a long and successful tenure in Rochester.^[6]

After a strong debut season with the Mammoth in which he scored 83 points (matching his 2010 total), Grant had one of the best years of his career in 2012. He scored his 1000th career point in January^[7] and his 500th career goal in March,^[8] set a new NLL record with 116 points in a season,^[9] and was named MVP for the second time in his career.^[10]

MLL career

He played for the Rochester Rattlers in their inaugural season in 2001, and finished second in the league with 59 points (41 goals, 3 two-pointers, 15 assists) in 14 games. He was also named an MLL All-Star and earned league Offensive Player of the Year honors. After not playing in the league from 2002 through 2004, he returned to the Rattlers for the 2005 season. In 2007, Grant broke the league's single-season points record with 71 points,^[11] was named Offensive Player of the Year for the second time,^[12] and was awarded the Major League Lacrosse MVP Award.^[13] In 2008, Grant led the league in scoring with 64 points (47 goals, 4 two-pointers, 13 assists) and was named the 2008 Bud Light Major League Lacrosse Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row. Grant and the Rattlers went on to win the MLL Championship in 2008, with a 16 to 6 defeat of Denver. This was the first MLL title for the Rattlers.

He, along with the rest of the Rattlers franchise and roster, transferred to the Toronto (later Hamilton) Nationals when the franchise was bought by a new ownership group in 2009.

On June 14, 2011 it was announced that Grant Jr was traded to the Long Island Lizards for a second round draft pick in the 2012 Collegiate draft, which would become a 4th round pick if Grant Jr does not report. Nationals general manager Jody Gage—the same GM who traded Grant away from the Knighthawks—cited a desire to go with a younger roster as a factor in the trade decision.

In February 2012, Grant Jr was traded to the Chesapeake Bayhawks.^[14]

Grant Jr. was traded to the Denver Outlaws,^[15] along with defenseman Michael Simon, in exchange for attackman Brendan Mundorf and the 16th pick in the 2014 collegiate draft in September 2013.

International lacrosse career

In 2006, Grant along with Gary Gait led the Canadian national lacrosse team to an historic victory in the ILF World Lacrosse Championships, with Grant leading the tournament in points and assists, and earning All-World selection. He has also represented Team Canada in the following events:

• 1998 - Member of Team Canada, finalists in the 1998 World Lacrosse Championship in Baltimore, Maryland.
• 2002 - Member of Team Canada, finalists in the Heritage Cup in Mississauga, Ontario and 2002 World Lacrosse Championship
• 2003 - Member of Team Canada, winners of the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships in Hamilton, Ontario
• 2004 - Member of Team Canada, winners of the Heritage Cup in Denver, Colorado
• 2006- Member of Team Canada, winners of the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship in London, Ontario.
• 2007 - Member of Team Canada, winners of the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia
• 2010 - Member of Team Canada, finalists in the 2010 World Lacrosse Championships in Manchester England
• 2011 - Member of Team Canada, winners of the 2011 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships in Prague, Czech Republic

Accomplishments

• 1994 OLA Junior A Most Valuable Player
• 1995 MSL Rookie of the Year
• 1999 USILA National Collegiate Player of the Year
• 1999 National Collegiate Attackman of the Year
• 2000 NLL Rookie of the Year
• 2000 MSL Most Valuable Player
• 2001 MLL Offensive Player of the Year
• 2003 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship Champions (Canada)
• 2004 Heritage Cup Champions (Canada)
• 2004 Mann Cup Champions (Peterborough Lakers)
• 2004 Mann Cup Most Valuable Player
• 2006 World Lacrosse Championship Champions (Canada)
• 2006 World Lacrosse Championship- All World Team
• 2006 Mann Cup Champion (Peterborough Lakers)
• 2007 NLL Most Valuable Player
• 2007 NLL Champions Cup Champion (Rochester Knighthawks)
• 2007 NLL Champions Cup Most Valuable Player
• 2007 World Lacrosse Championships Champion (Canada)
• 2007 MLL Offensive Player of the Year
• 2007 MLL Most Valuable Player
• 2007 Mann Cup Champion (Peterborough Lakers)
• 2007 Mann Cup Most Valuable Player
• 2008 MLL Offensive Player of the Year
• 2008 MLL Most Valuable Player
• 2008 MLL Steinfeld Cup Champion (Rochester Rattlers)
• 2009 MLL Steinfeld Cup Champion (Toronto Nationals)
• 2010 Mann Cup Champion (Peterborough Lakers)
• 2010 World Lacrosse Championship- All World Team (Top Attackman)
• 2012 NLL Most Valuable Player
• 2012 MLL Steinfeld Cup Champion (Chesapeake Bayhawks)
• 2012 Mann Cup Champion (Peterborough Lakers)
• 2013 MLL Steinfeld Cup Champion (Chesapeake Bayhawks)
• 2014 MLL Steinfeld Cup Champion (Denver Outlaws)

Statistics

NLL

Reference:^[16]

GP–Games played;G–Goals;A–Assists;Pts–Points;LB–Loose balls;PIM–Penalty minutes;Pts/GP–Points per games played;LB/GP–Loose balls per games played;PIM/GP–Penalty minutes per games played;

Major League Lacrosse

Reference:^[17]

Canadian Lacrosse Association

University of Delaware

^(a) 7th in NCAA Men's Division I Single Season Total Points

^(b) 12th in NCAA Men's Division I Career Points-per-Game

1999 Season Game Log

Awards

See also

• 1999 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
• NCAA Men's Division I Lacrosse Records
• NLL records
• University of Delaware Mens Lacrosse

External links

• University Of Delaware 1999 Season Stats
• 1999 Laxpower NCAA Tournament Selection Data Men's Division I
• 1999 Laxpower UDel Season Schedule

References