DeLawrence Grant
Encyclopedia
DeLawrence Grant, Jr. is a former linebacker
in the NFL
.
and has played five years for them. Grant began his career as a defensive end
before being converted to linebacker.
He played sparingly as a rookie
in 2001, before starting at left end for most of the Raiders' Super Bowl
season in 2002. He was back on the bench in 2003, before being moved to the weakside linebacker spot in 2004. He had a strange year that season, starting the first nine games before being benched and not even getting on the field for the final seven.
That offseason, he was released by the Raiders for salary cap
reasons, but was later re-signed. Due to an injury, he played only half the season in 2005, missing most of the middle portion.
One of the stranger aspects of Grant's star-crossed Raiders career is his continual switch in uniform number. He started out as No. 95, then switched to No. 99 when a more experienced player, Sam Adams, was signed and issued the jersey. He then switched to No. 59 (the reverse of his prior No. 95) after moving to linebacker, numbers in the 50s being thought of as linebackers' numbers.
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Pro career
Grant was selected by the Raiders in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
and has played five years for them. Grant began his career as a defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
before being converted to linebacker.
He played sparingly as a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
in 2001, before starting at left end for most of the Raiders' Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
season in 2002. He was back on the bench in 2003, before being moved to the weakside linebacker spot in 2004. He had a strange year that season, starting the first nine games before being benched and not even getting on the field for the final seven.
That offseason, he was released by the Raiders for salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
reasons, but was later re-signed. Due to an injury, he played only half the season in 2005, missing most of the middle portion.
One of the stranger aspects of Grant's star-crossed Raiders career is his continual switch in uniform number. He started out as No. 95, then switched to No. 99 when a more experienced player, Sam Adams, was signed and issued the jersey. He then switched to No. 59 (the reverse of his prior No. 95) after moving to linebacker, numbers in the 50s being thought of as linebackers' numbers.