John Grant Jr. retires from playing lacrosse, will coach for Outlaws

John Grant Jr. has retired from lacrosse to become the offensive co-ordinator for Major League Lacrosse’s Denver Outlaws.

At a press conference in Denver, Colo., the Peterborough native, one of the game’s greatest offensive stars, cited a serious concussion suffered in January as the reason for his decision.

Grant, 42, announced he’s retiring from pro field lacrosse. He said he is still on injured reserve for the NationalLacrosseLeague’sColorado Mammoth and will announce his plans there at a later date.

It’s pretty clear, though, he’s done playing. To accept the Outlaws job he had to get the Mammoth’s permission since schedules conflict.

“I’ve been playing longer than anyone thought I would,” Grant said. “My body retired in 2009 but I think my heart finally can’t propel myself to play anymore. I took a nasty hit in indoor playing for the Mammoth and got a concussion. The risk of trying to come back is not worth it. I have a family here and a job at Valor Christian (high school). I can’t risk it again.”

Grant, the head lacrosse coach at Valor, said he consulted a neurologist and tried to work his way back to the lineup “but it’s just not in the cards,” he said. “I officially retired this morning.”

He notified the MLL’s Ohio Machine he was retiring and thanked them for half a season. The Outlaws dealt him to Ohio last season. In his final game he became the MLL’s alltime leading scorer. Grant is second all-time in NLL scoring behind John Tavares and is also second in goals and fifth in assists. He’s set scoring records and won MVP awards in almost every league he’s played, won championships in NLL, MLL, MSL and Mann Cup play and gold medals at world indoor and field lacrosse championships representing Canada.

Grant says the past few months gave him time to accept his decision.

“I have too much to live for,” he said. “It’s time to focus my life on my coaching and my family, and not in that order, obviously. I’ve had some time to process this. When it finally hit it’s obviously tough but I’m in a really good place. I’m blessed to have the job at Valor. To be able to coach the game I love in the town I now call home, with a team I spent a couple of years with and won a championship with in (2014) is a thrill.”

He says he’s played the game since he was in diapers and followed his father John Grant Sr. to arenas. The thing he’ll miss most is playing the game and going to battle with teammates.

“It’s all I’ve ever done. It’s afforded me trips around the world, a full scholarship to University of Delaware and got a degree because of lacrosse. I’ve been able to make a home here in Denver. I owe the game a lot and I want to continue to give back. I felt a calling to do the coaching.”

NOTE: Watch video of John Grant Jr.’s press conference at www. thepeterboroughexaminer.com.