Get to know Raiders tackle Charles Grant

In high school, Grant only played one season of football and was primarily a wrestler.

As an All-State wrestler in Virginia, he was convinced by football coaches at a wrestling tournament to give the sport a try. Upon venturing onto the gridiron as a upperclassman, he became a First-Team 4A All-Eastern Region selection in 2019. After receiving his singular Division I offer to play football at William & Mary, he continued to bring the lessons learned on a wrestling mat in the trenches.

“There’s obstacles I’ve had to overcome in wrestling,” Grant said after he was drafted. “So, I used to have the mindset like, ‘Hey, if I used to do wrestling, if I used to wrestle for like, four hours a day, I know I can persevere through anything I’ve been going through.’ So, just that mental fortitude. And I’d also say my ability to move off the ball, be quick, be nimble and cut the backside off, just things like that. Having that note of how to position your body to be the best fit.”