Catching Up With Former Notre Dame Running Back Ryan Grant

If you paid attention to the end of the last NFL season, you couldn't miss former Notre Dame running back Ryan Grant and his story. He went from a no-name with the New York Giants to the starting running back for the Green Bay Packers and helping to lead the Packers to the NFC title game, where they lost to the Giants.
But Grant has established himself as a running back in the NFL, something that seemed improbable after he left Notre Dame and then suffering a potentially devastating injury to his hand falling through glass.
But Grant was on campus for the Blue-Gold game this weekend so we had a few minutes to catch up with him.

Irish Insights: Life without Brett Favre, how different is it?
Ryan Grant: "I don't know yet. We haven't played any games yet but I don't see it being that different in the sense that the motive is still the same. We're going to go out there with confidence and try to accomplish the same type of thing -- wins. But from a fan's immediate sense, it'll be a little bigger difference because they don't know anything different."

Media Member: That's a pretty strong personality in the locker room, wasn't it.
RG: "Absolutely. I don't think we'll ever lose that sense of who he is in the locker room. He had his own office and stuff like that so you didn't see him that much."

Media Member: Do you take over that office now?
RG: "(Laughing). No. No way. I don't think anyone takes over that office. I wouldn't even want that."

Irish Insights: Does it sit there, locked?
RG: "I don't even know if many people know that it's there. I went back there one day, he called me back there and I was like 'Holy smokes, this is where you're at all the time.' But just in general, people are happy for him that he gets a chance to be regular Brett Favre and get a break. As disappointing as it was, nobody knows what he was going through and stuff like that. All the credit and accolades is all deserved and that he gets a chance to relax."

II: What's it like being back here?
RG: "It's great. A great experience. I really appreciate Coach Weis and everyone welcoming me back. It's a little different, a little weird being on the other sidelines and I didn't know how I felt about being a coach. Guys were asking me advice and I'm like 'What are you talking about?' But I'm excited. There's a bunch of new faces. There are only three guys on the team that I've played with so that's a little bit... But I'm excited about the guys and the new leadership."

II: Did Charlie have you talk to (Robert) Hughes and James Aldridge and (Armando) Allen because the situation is somewhat similar from when you were here?
RG: "Yeah, and I just told them to make each other better, to compete against each other and that'll, in essence, make the team better and that it will help, that competition is healthy. From a backfield stance, they can feed off each other, make each other better and learn from each other. I think they'll do that anyway."

II: Is this cool to be back here because of the college career you had here and then you come back here as the starting running back, Green Bay Packers and when you left here no one really knew what would happen?
RG: "I'm really just here, me being back here isn't about me and my stuff. I'm here to support the guys. So just the success we had last year as a team and with me is fine, but I'm here for these guys."
-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

Comments

[Irish T]

Hello Micheal, From time to time it is important to wish some one well and tell them how much you appreciate their hard work. Thanks for doing all you do on one your beats. That being Notre Dame Football. It is great to get your views on the players,coaches and the practices. From the tempo to the pitch if you will.The things we crazy Irish fans that do not live in the area enjoy learning about. Last night on ESPN College Football Live one of the anouncers said it was a general lack of speed last year that made the Irish 3-7 among other things. He said it appears to be vvastly improved along with Jimmy Clausen and his recievers in Golden Tate and D.Kamara. It appears from spring videos that Robert Hughes and Armando Allen have sparked on all 8 cylynders along with O-Line to give ND a much needed running back.

Can you tell us your opinion on the difference on Coach Tenuta impact on the Linebackers and De Ends and even D-Line and of course the Secondary. I know Notre Dame has to fine Coaches running the Defense this year in DC Coach Corwin Brown and Asst Head Coach Tenuta.

As long as the kids don't quit like they seemed to last year a few times. Against Michigan and USC there was little fire. I hope to never see that again.

Keep up the good work. Your Paper should be proud of you.

All the best.

Go Irish!

Terrence in Nevada

[Mike]

Michael, it's writing/reporting like this that keeps me coming back. I may not always be pleased - - - This is great stuff man! Thanx, Mike