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William & Mary coach Mike London was stunned as he watched Charles Grant soar through the air during one of the football team’s practice periods.
Grant had just caught a swing pass on a screen play designed to get the ball into his hands. When a defensive back went low to cut him down, Grant took to the air and hurdled over the would-be tackler.
Hurdles are often reserved for the highlight reels of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks and skill position players. Grant is neither; he’s a 6-foot-4, 300-pound offensive lineman.
“Here he’s got the knee braces on, the heavy pads, I’m like, ‘Look at this guy,'” London said.
London’s coaches refer Grant as a “freak of nature.” London compared him to former Virginia OL D’Brickashaw Ferguson. London was defensive line coach for Virginia during a few of Ferguson’s seasons starring in Charlottesville. Ferguson was selected by the New York Jets with the fourth overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft and who went on to have a lengthy professional career that saw him accrue three Pro Bowl selections.
Grant is a one-man wrecking crew who can reach 32 inches on a vertical jump and run over 21 miles per hour when clocked on a GPS.
And the NFL is starting to pay attention.
“There are scouts at practice almost daily and there are scouts planning return visits with position coaches,” said Mario Acitelli, the William & Mary offensive line coach/offensive coordinator. “It’s not just the run of the mill, I’m checking this school off and going to it. He’s generating interest from the All-American recognitions and all-conference recognitions but then when people see him practice and watch the tape, they are excited.”
In fact, London said that some NFL teams tried to convince Grant to leave…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/william-mary-ol-charles-grant-a-2025-nfl-draft-prospect-is-breaking-the-modern-college-football-mold/
Author : Will Backus
Publish date : 2024-08-15 12:38:23
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