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Rutgers' Grant dances into end zones, locker room

Sophomore receiver Janarion Grant has loved dancing since a young age. – Photo by Photo by Tian Li | The Daily Targum

It all started when sophomore wide receiver Janarion Grant was a young kid and the movie “Rize” came to television. When Grant saw the introduction to the film, he immediately grabbed a tape to record it, and the rest was history.

The passion Grant has for dancing began at that moment, while the love for moving around rhythmically started perhaps when he was born. 

The urge to dance was ignited when he spent every day after school teaching himself how to perform the “krumping” that was described in that documentary. 

“Ever since I was little, I loved to dance,” Grant said. “It started when I was watching this movie called ‘Rize,’ and it’s all about krumping. I recorded it and I was trying to learn the moves. Every day after school, I would lock myself in my room, every time I came home, and try to learn the moves. I would press rewind so many times. I just have loved to dance ever since then.”

The practice has paid off for Grant. He is regarded as one of the best — if not the best — dancers on the Rutgers football team.

While some Knights mess around after a Rutgers victory or practice in the locker room by showing off any sort of moves they have, Grant takes it one step further, according to senior quarterback Gary Nova.

“He’s a real good dancer. He is always dancing no matter what it is — practice or if we have walk-throughs — he is always out there dancing,” Nova said. “He gets everyone excited, and he loves to do it. He’s actually a legitimate dancer. The stuff he does is really impressive.”

The self-proclaimed, shy true-freshman running back Josh Hicks lit up when talking about Grant’s ability off the field to command a locker room with his dance skills. Hicks said Grant might be one of the top dancers he’s ever seen and that some Knights try to keep up with him after wins.

“I actually think Janarion is the best dancer on the team,” Hicks said with a chuckle. “Every time we win, we have a little dance thing going on in the locker room. Everyone wants to see him dance all the time. He’s a pretty good dancer.”

When Grant wasn’t locked in his room on afternoons after school, continuously rewinding that recorded tape, he was focused on his other true love: football. 

“I love football. I definitely love football more than dancing,” Grant said of his hobby. “Dancing is right behind football though — it’s a pretty close second.”

It is hard to determine which Grant can actually do better — dance or play football effectively. So far, it seems like a pretty close race with the value Grant has added in the return game for the Knights.

The receiver and return specialist now ranks eighth all time in Rutgers’ history with 1,158 kick return yards after a season-long 71-yard kick return Saturday against Indiana. Grant also returned a punt a season-high 23 yards that game.

While some might get nervous to have a whole team coming at you on a kick, there is only one thing going through Grant’s mind when he is about to receive the ball.

“I’m just thinking that I hope they kick it to me and give me a chance to return the ball,” Grant said. “After I catch and secure the ball, I am just focused on scoring, just making the right move and getting out there to pass those guys with my speed to make a touchdown.”

Hicks has the responsibility of blocking for Grant as the off-returner, which he said might be one of the most difficult jobs he has for Rutgers.

“For me, to block for him, it’s an honor. I like to block for that guy knowing that if he has one crease he’ll be able to take it to the house,” Hicks said. “It’s real hard to tell him to take a touchback [on kicks in the end zone]. But that’s my job, and that’s what my coaches ask me to do. At times, I want to unleash him, but the coaches gave me the directions to follow.”

But as much as he values football over the hobby of dancing, Grant’s two passions have come full circle and helped him.

Grant attributes the success of being talented in avoiding tackles in the open field to the skills he learned in his room when he was growing up. Those talents and juking abilities have supplemented his skill at returning kicks and at wide receiver.

“I always have that confidence where I can make anyone miss. You have to have that confidence,” Grant said. “I can make moves and the moves I do with my body. I think it comes from dancing because I’ve been practicing and loved dancing since I was a little kid. That has helped me out ever since I was little.”

For updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @TylerKaralewich and @TargumSports on Twitter.


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