April 25, 2016

The Rookie Diaries: Marcus Grandison

In 2011, Marcus Grandison was a breakout freshman defensive back at York University, riding high on a successful debut year where he notched 48.5 tackles this season, including 2.5 for loss, and added one sack, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and one interception.

Fast forward two years, and the former GTA All-Star was two full seasons removed from the game and turning his attention to academics.

“I was at York University in 2011 and I had a great freshman year, I really enjoyed it. That’s still the tape that I use for my highlights and the one I used for the Argonauts,” says Grandison. We’re sitting in the cafeteria at the Argonauts rookie camp, so clearly he found his way back to the game. But wait, we’ll get to that.

“In my second year I felt that I wasn’t really growing anymore as a player; I wanted to try a new challenge.” That challenge was taking the chance at a US school. In his 2012 year, Grandison headed south to Butte College in California. Everything was going great for a few months until it became apparent that the cost of US college would be too much for the 22-year-old the handle.

“We come from a low-income family,” Grandison explains. “I have two older siblings as well, and my mom wasn’t able to give me the proper funding anymore and in junior college they don’t give you full scholarships.

“I was basically going to OSAP every day asking if they could give me any grants or funds. Mentally, it just got to be too much.”

Faced with a tough choice, Grandison decided to move back to Toronto, but he didn’t make his way back onto the field just yet. “I knew I still needed a change and I really wanted to go to the University of Toronto, but my grades weren’t up to par.”

Tough choice number two: go back and play football at York where Grandison admits didn’t feel like the right spot for him, or take a big risk and try to up his grades for a chance at U of T. He chose the big risk and went back to York, but with academia on his mind this time.

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So that was that. The kid who won pretty much every All-Star and MVP nod Toronto football can hand out, one of the first 12 players named to the 2011 IFAF World Team was taking a break from football at an age when that’s normally unheard of.

“I knew it was a risk,” he says laughing. “But I’m the kind of guy that would rather sit out than be complacent. I need something to push me and challenge me. So, that’s what he did. Blues head coach Greg Gary worked with Grandison to get him onto the team once he got his grades up and he was able to finish his last year of eligibility at U of T.

“It was a challenge at first,” says Grandison, who had been away from the game for two years at that point. “I felt so rusty and a step behind all the guys, but I liked it. I played for so long since I was a little kid and it was the first time I felt uncomfortable. My mind was thinking so much. Usually, football should just be natural. Last year was really a transition. Those two years off changed a lot.”

As rusty as he felt he was, he caught the attention of Argos Coordinator of Canadian Scouting, Vince Magri.

“He knew me from my days with the Etobicoke Eagles [of the Ontario Varsity Football League] and came to a practice one day,” says Grandison. “I didn’t even know he was there but he approached me after and said he’d been watching me the whole year. A phone call later from GM Jim Barker and the rest is history. The Argos signed Grandison in December of 2015.

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“It’s crazy,” he says with a smile. “I’m up against guys now that have played D-1 and I’m completely out of my comfort zone again, but I love it! I love the challenge!

“I believe putting yourself in a position where you’re uncomfortable makes you a better person. I’m loving it. The time off was a struggle though. I even see right now. I feel like I’m a step behind. It messes with your mental a little. I’m battling with my physical and my mental, but I love the challenge; I thrive in those environments.”

So here he is.

He’s quiet on the sidelines. He’s constantly asking questions, grabbing the ear of his coaches for feedback, but he doesn’t look timid, and as much as he says he feels a step behind, you wouldn’t know it.

He has a quiet confidence about him. One probably has to to be able to take the risk of a two-year hiatus from the game.

In the end, he’s just like everyone else at this rookie camp: fighting for a spot.