Grant Michael Irons is an American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 player who is a free agent

Free agent

In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

, formerly playing for the Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

. He played in 43 career games for the University of Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

, making 26 starts at numerous positions on defense. He started playing for the Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 in 2002. His father Gerald Irons

Gerald Irons

Gerald Irons is a former American professional football player who played ten seasons in the National Football League. His youngest son Grant Irons plays for the Oakland Raiders. Eldest son Gerald, Jr. played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and middle son Jarrett was the fifth junior elected captain...

 also played for the Raiders. He is the cousin of Paul Irons

Paul Irons

Paul Irons is an American football tight end for Team Michigan of the All American Football League. Irons previously played in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and in college for Florida State University....

, cousin once removed of Kenny Irons

Kenny Irons

Kenny Irons is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...

 and David Irons

David Irons

David Irons is a former American football cornerback for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn.Irons has also played for the Florida Tuskers...

  and the brother of Jarrett Irons

Jarrett Irons

Jarrett Irons is a former All-American linebacker who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team from 1993-1996. A native of The Woodlands, Texas, Irons was twice selected to the All Big Ten Conference team and was a team co-captain in 1995 and 1996...

.

He was awarded the Dial Award

Dial Award

For the literary award presented by The Dial magazine in the 1920s, see The Dial.The Dial Award was presented annually by the Dial Corporation to the male and female American high-school athlete/scholar of the year.-Awardees:...

for the national high-school scholar-athlete of the year in 1996.