4 Michigan Hall of Fame Dinner Friday, October 2, 7:00 p.m. Crisler Arena $30 per person SPORTS Women's Volleyball vs. Indiana Friday, 7:30 p.m. IM BuildingP Page 10 The Michigan Daily Wednesday, September 23, 1987 Dyn-o-Jmite athlete: Jj. Grant puts football before - track and field for good times By RICK KAPLAN Michigan recruited a superb track athlete out of upstate New York in 1985. He is the only person ever to win gold medals in four different events at the Empire State Games. But J.J. Grant left for Ann Arbor to be an inside linebacker. At age 13, fate turned t h e Liverpool, N.Y., native to the shot put, his best field event. "I luckily got into the shot put," Grant said. "I was a sprinter. I injured my knee because we hadn't had the track resurfaced and we were practicing on the streets. So, when they told me to sit out, I walked over to the shot putters and started hanging around with those guys." GRANT STILL holds the prep shot-put record at the prestigious Penn Relays with a 67' 3" toss. Also during his senior year, he won championships in shot put, discus, javelin, and hammer throw at the Empire State Games held at Syracuse University. Despite his diverse track talents, Grant said he never considered competing in the decathlon. "I think I'd have a little problem with the pole vault," said the 6-1, 237- pounder. Since disappointing t h e hometown fans by choosing the Wolverines over the Orangemen, Grant has gradually increased his emphasis on football. The redshirt sophomore participated on the track team in his first year, but sat out last year to concentrate on his academics. Grant says he will try to go out for the track squad next spring. In the meantime, the Wolverine football team is happy to have him in the fall. Grant made his first career start at inside linebacker last Saturday, and he figures to be a fixture at that position for the next few years. Last year, Grant was a key special teams player. He also saw action as a backup linebacker in nine games. THE FORMER Parade High School Football All-American was expected to win a starting nod at inside linebacker this spring, but he felt he did not play well enough to secure the position. He came back for fall workouts primed to prove he deserved the job. But before he got a chance, he was tripped up - literally. Grant fell over a bag in agility drills on the first day of two-a-day, full-contact workouts. The accident caused him to partially tear his left pectoral muscle and miss all of the double practices. The injury disheartened Grant. "Being hurt the day we started putting pads on was just a terrible feeling," he said. "I felt like I let the team down. Right off the bat I couldn't prove myself. "You feel like you can't help the team in any way. You know and your teammates know that it's just a matter of time until it heals. But during the time that it takes you just feel really useless." MICHIGAN inside-linebacker coach and defensive coordinator Lloyd Carr said Grant was not rendered useless by the muscle tear. "He had the advantage of having a lot of game experience - more so than all the other guys playing there," Carr said. "He had played a lot (on special teams). He's a very smart football player, so I don't think it was a great setback." The set backs on the opposipg offenses must be wary of Grant's knack for getting in the middle ova a play. "He understands the game," Carr said. "At the middle linebacker position, there are a lot pf adjustments to formations and checks that have to be made. He does a great job on those things." Grant feels he needs to do the job more aggressively. In high school, Grant was the subject of a story titled: Once Grant becomes surly, he'll be a sensation. "Once I can go out and be a crazy dog on the field, once I can turn that switch on, I'll be a better player," he said. Rosh Hashannah September Reform Hillel Conservative Michigan Union Ballroom Orthodox Friends Meeting House 1420 Hill St. Tashlich 1429 Hill St (Old Hillel) 23rd 7pm 7pm 7pm 24th 25th loam 9am,7pm 9am,7pm 9am 9am I 5pm Join your friends for a walk through the Arb where we will toss bread crumbs into the Huron River, symbolically throwing away the year's regretted acts. 663-3336 I I Advertise in The Michigan Daily The most exciting few hours you'll spend all week. Run. Climb. Rappel. Navigate. Lead. And develop the confidence and skills you won't get from a textbook. Enroll in Army ROTC as one of your electives. Get the facts today. BE ALL YOU CAN BE. Call Captain O'Rourke 764-2400 Daily Photo by SCOTT LITUCHY Linebacker J.J. Grant (95) sets his sights on Notre Dame's Tim Brown. Grant made his first start of the season last week against Washington State. Griddel Following the New York Jets' defeat of the New England Patriots on Monday night, the NFL Playersi Association called its 1,600 members out of the locker rooms and onto the picket line.1 The major issues which divide; the owners and the players are economics, free agency, and, yes, last week's Griddes. It seems that player representative Gene Upshaw and the executive director of the NFL Cause of NFL management council Jack Donlan both participated in last week's Griddes. Not only did they play, but they finished in a virtual first-place tie. Both, however, were disqualified because their picks were identical, and foul play was rumored. Meanwhile, U.p s h a w commented that the, NFLPA had offered to give up all claims to free- agency if the owners would admit to copying Upshaw's Gridde picks. I, ARMY RESERVE OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS. . i I "That Domino's pizza coupon means more to me than any free agency," he said. Things may be looking up, though, as the Griddes staff has decided to put an end to the strike. They are presently reviewing the situation on instant replay. 1. Long Beach State at MICHIGAN (pick total points) 2. Florida State at Michigan State 3. Missouri at Indiana 4. Kansas State at Iowa 5. Central Michigan at Minnesota 6. Ohio State at Louisiana State strike 7. Northern Illinois at Northwestern 8. Notre Dame at Purdue 9. Ball State at Wisconsin 10. Nebraska at Arizona State 11. Auburn at Tennessee 12. Miami, Fla. at Arkansas 13. Georgia Tech at Clemson 14. Arizona at UCLA 15. Penn State at Boston College 16. Pittsburgh at W. Virginia 17. S. Mississippi at Texas A&M 18. Alabama at Vanderbilt 19. E. Michigan at Kent I ADD ONE FREE'O GET AN ADDITIONAL TOPPING FREE WHEN YOU ORDER TWO OR MORE TOPPINGS - fK 4 State 20. Edinboro at ROCK SLIPPERY HALLOWEEN HOMEC mass meeting OMING ':30 UNION Major Events presents REGGAE! AND THE 4 "Pressure Drop" 4 "Monkey Man" 4 "Funky Kingston" t "54-46". < ieig __y__GG 4 s1 , a " ' 7"Et ' ? SEPTEMBER 22, 23, 7 UAC OFFICES Just ask when ordering! Now's the time to try that extra topping you've been thinking about - it's FREE when you order two or more toppings. Great pizza Watch for Domino's Pizza's First Super Sunday Coming Sept. 27, 1987 Details in Friday's Michian rDail Sent .! 5197 2ND FLOOR MICHIGANl U F im