Darryl Grant
Encyclopedia
Darryl Baris Grant is a former professional American football
player who played defensive tackle for eleven seasons for the Washington Redskins
and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
of the National Football League
. He played college football
at Rice University
.
Grant was drafted
by the Redskins in the ninth round of the 1981 NFL Draft
. The Redskins decided to turn him into a defensive lineman, even though he played offensive guard in college. After using his 1981 rookie year to adjust to the rigors of playing defensive tackle in the NFL, Grant joined the defensive line rotation starting in 1982.
Grant went on to become a fixture on Joe Gibbs' Redskins teams in the 1980s. At times paired alongside other Redskins defensive line standouts such as Dave Butz
, Dexter Manley
and Charles Mann, Grant was one of the contributors during a period (his Redskins career 1981-1990) that saw the Redskins make the playoffs six times, including three trips to the Super Bowl (two wins) and four conference championship appearances (three wins).
Grant went on to play in 141 games for the Redskins from 1981–90, finishing with 27 sacks and two interceptions. His best season was 1984 when he recorded a career-high eight sacks.
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 played defensive tackle for eleven seasons for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
of the National Football League
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...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
.
Grant was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Redskins in the ninth round of the 1981 NFL Draft
1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1981...
. The Redskins decided to turn him into a defensive lineman, even though he played offensive guard in college. After using his 1981 rookie year to adjust to the rigors of playing defensive tackle in the NFL, Grant joined the defensive line rotation starting in 1982.
Grant went on to become a fixture on Joe Gibbs' Redskins teams in the 1980s. At times paired alongside other Redskins defensive line standouts such as Dave Butz
Dave Butz
David Butz is a former American Football defensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the St...
, Dexter Manley
Dexter Manley
Dexter Keith Manley, nicknamed the "Secretary of Defense" is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Phoenix Cardinals, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an eleven-year career from 1981 to 1991. He also played in the Canadian Football...
and Charles Mann, Grant was one of the contributors during a period (his Redskins career 1981-1990) that saw the Redskins make the playoffs six times, including three trips to the Super Bowl (two wins) and four conference championship appearances (three wins).
Career highlights
In the 1982 NFC Championship game against the Dallas Cowboys, one of the memorable moments from the 31-17 win was Grant's ten-yard interception return for a touchdown. He high-stepped his way into the end zone for the score.Grant went on to play in 141 games for the Redskins from 1981–90, finishing with 27 sacks and two interceptions. His best season was 1984 when he recorded a career-high eight sacks.