John Grant Jr.

John Christopher Grant Jr. (born November 7, 1974) is an American professional lacrosse coach and retired professional lacrosse player who has played in Major League Lacrosse, the National Lacrosse League, and the Ontario Lacrosse Association.

He currently serves as an assistant coach for Redwoods Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League.

He is widely regarded as one the greatest lacrosse players of all time.

Grant is the son of John Grant Sr., a former star in the Ontario Lacrosse Association and the original Philadelphia Wings.

Grant Jr., known as Junior, has a physical education degree from the University of Delaware.

He was named the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League Most Valuable Player in 1994, and was the league's top scorer in 1993, 1994, and 1995.

In 1995, Grant moved up to the Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) with the Peterborough Lakers, where he won the Top Rookie of the Year award.

Grant was drafted by the Buffalo Bandits in 1995, but he didn't sign, instead opting to attend junior college at SUNY Morrisville playing for future Yale coach Andy Shay.

Grant was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bandits in the third round of the 1995 MILL Entry Draft.

Grant transferred to the University of Delaware and played the 1998 and 1999 seasons, again teaming up with Shay who had moved there as an assistant, with the Fightin' Blue Hens compiling a 23 and 8 during that time.

Grant made the USILA All-American team his junior season, but really attracted national attention his senior year.

In 1999, Grant had 56 goals and 54 assists for 110 points, leading the nation in assists and points and setting school records for both categories.

He was named the USILA National Collegiate Player of the Year and was awarded the Jack Turnbull Award as National Attackman of the Year.

Grant was Delaware's first USILA First Team All-American.

John led the school to its first ever NCAA quarterfinal appearance as well as its first 14-win season, with victories over perennial lacrosse powers North Carolina, Navy and Towson, in addition to 4 other top 20 teams.

Grant's 110-point 1999 season currently ranks tenth on the NCAA Individual Single-Season Leaders list and Grant is 13th in career points per game.

He was the last Division I player to average more than 6 points-per-game for an entire season (1999), until Lyle Thompson did this in 2013.

He was never signed by the Bandits, opting instead to attend college, re-entered the draft four years later when he was drafted first overall by the Rochester Knighthawks in the 1999 NLL Entry Draft, and was named NLL Rookie of the Year for the 2000 season.

He holds several franchise records including most goals (347) and most points (719).

In 2000, Grant won the MSL Most Valuable Player award.

In 2002 and 2003, Grant moved west, playing in the Western Lacrosse Association with the Coquitlam Adanacs, earning All-Star recognition.

Grant came back to the Peterborough Lakers in 2004 and led the team to a Mann Cup victory, earning the Mike Kelley Memorial Trophy as the competition's Most Valuable Player.

In 2006 and 2007, Grant again won the Mann Cup as a member of the Lakers, earning his second Mann Cup MVP in 2007.

In 2007 Grant set a National Lacrosse League record with 15 points in a single game (9 goals, 6 assists) in a win over the New York Titans, since broken by Mark Steenhuis.

He was recognized with Overall Player of the Week Honors for his record-breaking achievement.

After the regular season, Grant was named the 2007 NLL MVP, and then on May 12, 2007, Grant capped off his extraordinary season by being named Champion's Cup game MVP, as the Knighthawks defeated the Arizona Sting 13–11 to win their second championship.

On May 25, 2007, Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy awarded Grant the Key to the City in recognition of the Knighthawks' championship.

Grant suited up for the Peterborough Lakers of Major Series Lacrosse on July 9, 2009, a surprisingly early comeback from his surgery.

Grant missed the entire 2009 season after having emergency surgery to remove an infection in his knee.

He is married to Raygen Rogers and has one daughter, Gabrayel Grant, born in 2010.

Grant began his Ontario Lacrosse Association career with the Peterborough Lakers in the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League.

In 2010, Grant and the Peterborough Lakers won the Mann Cup once again, beating out the New Westminster Salmonbellies.

In 2010, Grant was inducted into the NJCAA Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

In 2010, Grant returned to form playing in 15 of his team's 16 games, though Rochester missed the playoffs.

On October 27, 2010, Grant (plus defender Mac Allen) was traded to the Colorado Mammoth in exchange for 2010 NLL Goaltender of the Year Matt Vinc, plus transition players Matt Zash and Brad Self.

Draft picks were also exchanged in the trade, which the Knighthawks said they executed to alleviate the effects of an aging roster, despite being reluctant to deal Grant after such a long and successful tenure in Rochester.

After a strong debut season with the Mammoth in which he scored 83 points (matching his 2010 total), Grant had one of the best years of his career in 2012.

Grant is also tied for fifth all-time in goals, third in assists per game and 12th in points in NLL history.

He has some of the team's single-season records too, including: Most goals (54), most assists (60), and most points (111).

Grant is also the team's all-time leader in playoff goals (47) and points (82).