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*EDITOR’S NOTE- This story orginally ran in 2013 as a part of the Class of 2013 Troy Sports Hall of Fame ceremony.*
One of the most dominant receivers in Troy football history, Danny Grant still ranks among the all-time single-season and career leaders in school history over 40 years following his playing career. An NAIA All-America selection, Grant finished his three-year career at Troy State with 44 career touchdown receptions, which is still17 more than anyone else in school history. Grant was a member of the 1968 NAIA National Championship team, coached by fellow Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member Billy Atkins, that topped Texas A&I, 43-35, at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl in the national title game. Grant joins former teammates Sim Byrd, a 2012 inductee, and fellow 2013 inductee Bobby Enslen in the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame. Grant’s All-America season came during Troy State’s 1968 National Championship run. He caught 72 passes for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns; becoming the first player in school history to top the 1,000-yard receiving mark. Grant’s 14 touchdown catches in 1966 and 1968 still stand as Troy single-season records and his 10 touchdown grabs in 1967 rank as the fifth most; a Troy player has caught double-digit touchdowns just six times over the rich history of the program and Grant has three of those six. “Danny had great courage, quickness, speed and had the best balance on his feet of any player I’ve ever seen,” Byrd said. “He could take five or six shots on a play and still stay on his feet. He could get past a defensive back quicker than a blink of an eye and I think the numbers he put up will stand for a very long time.”
Grant, who was a member of two Alabama Collegiate Conference Championship teams and a three-time allconference selection, set the NAIA single-game record with five touchdown receptions in 1968 against McNeese State and still owns the Troy single-game records for receptions (16), receiving yards (225), touchdown receptions (5) and points scored (30). Grant’s career numbers have also stood the test of time as he ranks second in receptions (215), receiving yards (2,907) and receptions per game (5.1). Grant, a 1969 graduate with a degree in business administration and marketing, is a resident of Birmingham and serves as regional manager of Technical Innovations. He founded and served as president of Daniel Communications for 22 years from 1986 to 2009. “Danny has impeccable character, he loves his family and his teammates and he loves Troy University,” Byrd said. “Our times together at Troy laid the groundwork for what we’ve accomplished in life and Danny is someone who I will always be proud to know because of the quality person he is and will always be.” In 2010, Grant was selected Alumni of the Year by the Troy University Alumni Association’s Board of Directors for his loyalty and service to Troy University. He is a member of TROY’s Letterwinners “T-Club” Alumni Chapter. A native of Ozark, Grant was inducted into the Wiregrass Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
