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GRANT ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL

After a year away, John Grant is back to leading the Knighthawks offense

02/09/2010

By Chris DiMatteo for NLL.com

"When I'm out on the floor, [the pain in my knee] seems to go away. I guess that is one of the things I love about the game of lacrosse... you're able to completely escape everything else and concentrate on just the battle and... the game," said Rochester Knighthawks (3-2) forward John Grant, who is entering his tenth season in the league.

John Grant is returning this year after taking a season off to recover from reconstructive knee surgery. The thought of playing lacrosse again was one of the main things that helped the veteran get through a slew of surgeries and rehab, as his love of the game was not going to let an injury stop him.

"Once they finally took my ACL out they said, 'You have got to concentrate on walking first before you even think about playing,' but I always had it in the back of my head that I was going to work as hard as I could to play.

"Everything for me was to get back on the court," said Grant.

Playing the game has been Grant's passion for the majority of his life. He accredits his father with getting him started as soon as he "came out of the womb."

"I had the stick in my hand basically from the time I was born until I got in my twenties. That was what I did, all the time," said Grant. "[Lacrosse] is my life... The game of lacrosse has given me a lot of opportunities: travel the world, get an education and to be able to play professionally in front of thousands of people is just icing on the cake. "

Although he was first injured in 2004, problems with his knee did not become serious until 2008. During the time in between, Grant had a good deal of success, including winning the 2007 championship with the Knighthawks. Then in the summer of 2008 the hard play caught up with him and almost stopped him from playing ever again.

"I played like 45 games in 93 days, or something foolish like that, and I had 3 broken fingers and a blown elbow and was just pretty miserable. Then one day I woke up and my knee was the size of a basketball and it felt like there were seven guys banging on it with hammers," said Grant. "I went into the hospital and basically blacked out there and 28 days later I came out after about four surgeries."

Grant had developed a serious staph infection in his knee from an earlier surgery. Even after being told about his injury by the doctor, Grant still just wanted to play and asked if he could play in a game later that night.

"They kind of looked at me like I was crazy, but that's kind of just the way I am. I just wanted to know how soon I was going to be able to play and he was like, 'You won't be playing any time soon,'" said Grant.

The Knighthawks forward's knee continued to get worse, with his condition getting dire enough that he could have lost his life. However, Grant does not dwell on this or let it hold him back.

"They tell me it was near fatal, [but] I never really pay much attention. I try not to think about that stuff; as athletes, you figure you'll always be able to play," said Grant.

The all-star player does not believe he is fully recovered yet, which may be in part due to the fact that he was playing again six months after getting his ACL put back in. He knows he must live with this decision the rest of his life, as his knee is very arthritic, but he only sees it as "the price of glory."

Grant acknowledges that his game is not as good as it was. Although it has only been around a year since his last surgery and very few athletes compete at a professional level that soon after recovery, the star forward has not let the injury make him hesitant to make plays.

"It has helped me that I just shut off that sort of feeling, the feeling of pain or the feeling of apprehension. I just go out and give it like it's my last game," said Grant. "[But I have] noticed that I am not able to do what I used to do, but it is not really that I am afraid to try anything."

Despite coming off an injury, the success he has had so far is impressive. Not only does Grant lead the league in shots on goal, but he is also tied for fifth in the league with 36 points (15 g, 21 a) through six games.

The first six goals he scored this season helped him secure his place as an NLL legend as they pushed his career total up to 400. Aside from Grant, only two other players (teammate Gary Gait and Buffalo Bandits forward John Tavares) have scored that many regular season goals.

However, not all milestones come at a good time, as Grant scored his 400th goal in the Knighthawks' 17-3 loss to the Toronto Rock (3-1).

"It came at basically the worst game I've ever played in this league... All I could think about was how I let my team down and let the city of Rochester down, and basically all the fans that came to the game. I was absolutely mortified and embarrassed of my play," said Grant of the loss.

"My goal these days is just to go out and help my team win each and every week, and I definitely didn't do that that week."

This does not mean Grant does not appreciate the flattery, although he is not sure if he agrees with it. The real thing that worries Grant about being labeled a legend is that it is supposed to mean he is near the end of his career.

He does not even see himself as a veteran.

"I don't really act like I am a veteran... My game over the years has given me the ability to garnish some sort of respect from the younger players, but I don't really think about it," said Grant. "I just think I got to do what I need to do and sometimes that is lead our team."

For now, Grant is only thinking about this season and hopes that the Knighthawks will be able to go all the way to the championship.

"I think we've got a great shot this year. We've got a great team and right now... my goal [is] to be there at the very end, to be the last team standing and doing everything I can to help my team."