Kenneth Grant’s first passion in sports actually was baseball.
He enjoyed his time as a slugging first baseman and right fielder.
“I was really good at baseball, and it was pretty fun,” Grant said.
Then, when he was 8 years old, a teammate introduced him to football.
It was game over.
“I fell in love with football and just dedicated all my time to it,” Grant said.
That path has been a productive one for Grant, a Merrillville senior who announced his verbal commitment to play at Michigan on Tuesday. The dominant and uncannily athletic 6-foot-5, 340-pound two-way lineman has started for the Pirates since he was a freshman, not a common occurrence for a program like that in a conference like the Duneland Athletic.
Grant added the offensive role to his repertoire this season but also has been a force on special teams. He has blocked eight kicks.
In short, he’s raised his game to an even higher level.
“He’s been impactful in all three phases of the game. … He’s done what you expect a big-time player to do,” Merrillville coach Brad Seiss said.
Grant, who finished ninth in the shot put at the state meet in track and field in the spring, has 16 tackles with 8.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks while playing defensive tackle and nose guard this season.
For the first time, he’s also starting at left guard, although Merrillville (6-0, 4-0) has picked spots to utilize him to not overtax him. Grant played extensive reps against Michigan City on Sept. 17, and Seiss said “he was really impactful” in the Pirates’ 40-14 win.
Seiss anticipates Grant’s playing time will increase as the competition intensifies in the postseason, with Merrillville primed for another run after advancing to a Class 6A semistate in back-to-back seasons.
In the shorter term, Grant should take on a heavy workload, rarely leaving the field, for the highly anticipated game against Valparaiso (6-0, 4-0) on Friday.
“I expect to play a lot,” he said with a smile.
He said of playing offense in general: “It’s pretty fun. It gives me something else to do. I like being tired and competing against other guys. It brings out the dog in me.”
Grant also has been a difference-maker on special teams. He’s blocked four field goals, two punts — both against Andrean in the season opener, including one he recovered for a touchdown — and two extra points.
“You just have to shoot the gap and get good get-off,” Grant said. “That’s all it really is. If you think you’re not going to get there, you just have to lay out because you have to get there.”
Grant worked to get into “the best shape he’s been in,” according to Seiss, especially in anticipation of his expanded role. His weight had hit 360 pounds at one point during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Being stuck in the house and having nothing to do, it was hard,” Grant said. “But I’m more compact now and have more muscle. Weightlifting is fun to me, and eating right and seeing the changes, I like that, challenging myself. I’m more versatile. My footwork and hands are way better.”
Grant’s versatility extends beyond the field. He enjoys fishing, particularly in the Sangamon River in Springfield, Illinois.
“There’s some pretty big fish, and they’re jumping out of the water,” Grant said. “It’s crazy. My family’s from the South, so we go fishing a lot. I really like it. I like just sitting outside and enjoying the outdoors.”
Grant said his family has supported him throughout the recruiting process.
His combination of size and explosiveness attracted interest from the upper reaches of college football. He chose Michigan from among a list of finalists that also included Ohio State and Wisconsin, having received scholarship offers from numerous suitors.
Grant visited each of those three universities multiples times. He made his official visit to Michigan during the weekend of Sept. 11 for the Wolverines’ game against Washington. He informed Michigan’s coaches during Seiss’ class Tuesday.
“I just felt like it was home,” Grant said. “It’s relatable to Merrillville here. There’s great people there. My family liked it, too, with the education and the community.
“I felt content with my decision. There was no point in waiting if I felt really good about it.”
Seiss saw Grant’s decision leaning toward Michigan for some time. He cited Grant’s relationship with defensive line coach Shaun Nua and the Wolverines’ “switch to a Ravens-style 3-4 defense” as two factors.
“He did his due diligence,” Seiss said. “He took his time and was patient. In the end, it just fit.”
Before heading to Michigan, Grant has visions of Merrillville extending its season even deeper into the postseason.
“This team can make it to state,” he said.
