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Former Scarlet Knight Janarion Grant is having a very successful NFL training camp since rookies reported three weeks ago. Our own David Anderson reported in early May when Grant signed his free agent contract with Baltimore after not being chosen in the NFL draft earlier this year. It is being reported by the Ravens themselves that Grant may beat the odds and be signed to play by the end of this season’s camp as either on the practice squad or as a member of the 53-member final squad.
One of the most popular players in recent memory. Grant left Rutgers this year as an undrafted free agent, and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens. However, despite not being drafted, he is demonstrating the same skills that made him a crowd favorite in his five years wearing the Block R on his helmet.
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Grant always had the ability to create separation between himself and defenders trying to bring him down. That skill has made him a noticed rookie in the Raven’s camp. CBS Sports stated that his ability in that area has gained him attention, as well as his strong abilities as a returner on special teams (eight returns for TDs as a Rutgers player).
Grant was a major source of Scarlet Knight offensive production. In Grant’s freshman season, he was used primarily as a return specialist, and his speed and shifty moves quickly made him a fan favorite. In this first two seasons in the Big Ten, Grant was used extensively as a return specialist, a wide receiver and a running back. In addition to gaining over 1,000 yards as a wide receiver, Grant gained over 2,800 yards as a kick returner, and just under 600 more as a punt return specialist. He finished his career at Rutgers having scored 14 touchdowns, including 8 combined scores between kick and punt returns, and 84 total points overall. There were multiple games where he single-handedly shifted the momentum of the game in favor of the Scarlet Knights. His stats as well as his draft stock would have been much, much higher had he not suffered his season-ending injury against the Iowa Hawkeyes at High Point Solutions Stadium in 2016.
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Following his injury, in 2017 Grant was able to show flashes of his amazing ability to shift quickly into high gear, as shown in the game against Michigan last season. This run was also his longest as a Scarlet Knight, for 65 yards in The Big House.
While no Rutgers fans should really be surprised that Grant is demonstrating his skills to succeed on the next level, you may want to tune in the Hall of Fame game between the Ravens and Bears this coming Thursday at 8:00 PM on NBC. Perhaps Grant will be able to show off some of his skills in the initial game of the NFL pre-season.
Finally, just to remind you all about how important Janarion Grant was, and his ability to be a wild-card factor in games, take a few minutes to watch his Rutgers career highlight tape. It’s still fun to watch his combination of speed and agility.