April
29, 2004
Northern
Illinois Strong Safety Akil Grant Signs Free Agent Pact With NFL's
Tennessee Titans
DeKALB, IL
--- Obviously, former Northern Illinois University strong safety
Akil Grant signed a standard free agent contract with the National
Football League Tennessee Titans this week on his own merit.
You still have
to wonder if Grant got a little indirect help from his friends,
i.e., ex-Huskie teammates such as Titan wide receivers Darrell Hill
and Justin McCareins---the latter who was traded to the New York
Jets in March.
“It could
not have hurt,” said Northern Illinois head football coach
Joe Novak. “Just like Akil, both Darrell and Justin have strong
work ethic and made themselves into NFL-caliber players. I’m
sure the Tennessee coaching staff and scouting department saw that
same work ethic in all three.
“I really
think Akil can make their football team,” Novak added. “If
he’s healthy and his knee (left) is okay, he’s got a good
shot. Akil can be a great special teams player, too. He had an extremely
productive career for us.”
The six-foot,
192-pound Grant heads to the Titans’ mini-camp this weekend
at Baptist Sports Park in Nashville where Tennessee head coach Jeff
Fisher and his staff will evaluate 40 candidates---13 draftees and
27 undrafted free agents. According to William Bryant, the Titans’
assistant director of media relations, Grant is listed as a strong
safety on the Tennessee camp roster. The franchise also signed two
other free agent strong safeties---Brandon Lynch of Middle Tennessee
State and Justin Sandy of Northern Iowa---earlier this week.
A four-year
Northern Illinois letterman, Grant capped his college career by
appearing in The Villages Gridiron Classic national all-star game
in January. He finished No. 10 on the all-time Huskie Hit List with
361 career tackles---the most ever by a Northern Illinois defensive
back. Overall, Grant produced 15 double-digit tackle games, 31 starts,
and 2,784 snaps in 42 appearances for Novak.
Despite missing
four games last fall due to the left knee sprain, Grant wound up
No. 3 in Northern Illinois season tackles (93) and No. 5 in team
pass deflections (four). His best 2003 games came against nationally
ranked opposition. Against No. 21-rated Alabama, Grant tied a career-high
18 stops and two pass deflections. He contributed 15 hits, one tackle
for loss, and one fumble-cause hit vs. No. 23 Bowling Green State.
Grant produced nine tackles vs. No. 13 Maryland and also served
as one of the team quint-captains on the 10-2 Huskie squad that
crashed the nation’s Top 30.
As a junior
and a sophomore, Grant collected 138 and 114 tackles, respectively.
His 2002 hit total (138) represented the best by a Northern Illinois
player since outside linebacker Steve Wild (140 stops in 1993) and
ranked No. 18 nationally. Grant also rated No. 9 in NCAA Division
1-A solo tackles (92) in 2002. In 2001, he was named Second-Team
All-Mid-American Conference by the league’s coaches.
In his prep
days, Grant lettered twice in football at Kankakee High School for
head coach Dan Wetzel. As a senior, he was a First-Team All-SICA
Orange Conference and All-Area pick on a 10-2 and Class 5A state
playoff team in 1999.
(For further
information, please contact Mike Korcek) -NIU-
