Hermitage’s Grant attracts attention of top college programs

When the football recruiting letters come for Curtis Grant -- and they come frequently from all over the country -- he reads them and gives them to his mother for inclusion in a scrapbook.

She may need several scrapbooks by the time her son is finished at Hermitage High School.

The junior has what major colleges covet in a linebacker: size, speed, instincts and an appetite for work.

Grant is 6-3, 225 pounds and covers 40 yards in 4.5 seconds. He's averaging about 13 tackles for the third-ranked Panthers (2-1), who open Colonial District play tonight against Deep Run (1-2) at 7 at Hermitage.

"He's got the size, he runs very well and he hits very hard," Hermitage coach Patrick Kane said. "And he's doing his job in the classroom. There are no question marks."

The list -- in no particular order -- of potential suitors that Grant rattles off is impressive: Virginia Tech, Boston College, Maryland, West Virginia, Miami, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, Northwestern, Kansas, Purdue, Syracuse, Oregon.

Those are the ones he could remember in a quick rundown.

"To tell you the truth, I really don't keep up with [how many I get]," he said. "I'm just thankful to get some."

Grant had 14 tackles as Hermitage knocked off then-top-ranked Varina 7-6 last week. Part of that, Kane said, was by design. The Panthers' defensive scheme has tackles Jaquan Roney and Jamal Samuels occupying blockers so that Grant and fellow linebacker Daryl Howell can roam free.

And part of that was instinct and homework.

"He enjoys working hard, getting his body better," Kane said. "He enjoys studying film, learning the game better. He has all those phases he likes working toward, which is going to be a huge asset to him at the next level. Sometimes the kids who work hard on the field don't get into the film work. He's got so many avenues to improve because he enjoys doing them."

For now, Grant is trying to put all the attention on file so he can focus on getting better.

He doesn't think he runs all that fast, which is why during the offseason you're likely to find him chugging up and down the towering stadium steps on one side of the football field at Hermitage. Or jumping rope. Or pulling a sled. Or running sprints.

He's already improved his 40 time by .2 since he was a freshman, when he introduced himself to the area by knocking down a 2-point conversion pass in a 21-20 victory over unbeaten Highland Springs in the Central Region, Division 6 playoffs.

"I just want to do a little bit more than the next person," he said, "so you can defeat your opponent, you know?"