The name “Grant” in Minnesota is synonymous with football. First and foremost, there was Bud Grant, a three-sport athlete at the University of Minnesota who later went on to coaching fame as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Later on, his son, Mike Grant turned a downtrodden Eden Prairie Eagles football team into a perennial football powerhouse, winning six state championships since his arrival in 1993.

The next round of Grant’s are already upon us at the U of M, as Mike’s son Ryan Grant is a redshirt freshman linebacker for the Gophers. Next in line would be 6’4” senior Taylor Grant, a tight end for an Eden Prairie Eagles team that once again finds themselves out in front of the pack with a 5-0 record this season. During a recent Gopher football game, GopherHole’s Nick Walsh caught up with Taylor Grant to talk about where he is at in his recruiting process.


NW: Talk about the atmosphere of TCF Bank Stadium…

TG: Everyone’s excited to be here, I’m excited to be here…there are lots of good things going on here in the stadium. The dome was nice, but this is our place now, this is our Minnesota Gophers’ home, and this is our place to defend. Excited is the only word you can use to describe it…everyone’s excited.

NW: Where are you at in your recruitment?

TG: Right now, I’m obviously more concerned with high school and our football season. I’m not going to worry about college too much right now…obviously it’s there. Right now I’m focused on helping my team get to the state tournament and winning a championship there first.

NW: Is the fact that your brother (Ryan Grant) is on the Gophers affect your decision at all?

TG: I’ve only heard good things from him, and it’s kind of turned into a family tradition to go to the “U” here, so obviously his opinion will matter to me, and the Gophers are a top team for me to look at. I’m really impressed with what Brewster has done with the program, and I’ve got nothing but good things to say about the program.

NW: What other schools are you looking at right now?

TG: It’s kind of a mix in the Midwest. I’m not a big guy on making decisions beforehand, but Iowa is one of the top schools, but just a lot of schools in the Midwest, primarily.

NW: What’s it like playing for your dad?

TG: A lot of people think it’s weird, but it’s not weird to me, since I’ve grown up with it. It’s just normal to me. We talk to each other, we communicate, and it’s kind of night to be able to talk to him every night, and it helps him to get a feel for what other people are thinking too. I think it works out pretty well.

NW: What’s it like to play for Eden Prairie? There’s always so much expectation there to win…

TG: You know, every week we have players from the past come back for the games and the pasta dinners we have, and they talk about the past championship teams, and they talk about how every Friday night they look for the score, and how much pride and tradition there is now at Eden Prairie. And it’s not just about football; it’s about doing the right thing. Every day, my dad talks about just doing the right thing, no matter what it is, and being great people first. And I think that’s the most important thing that makes Eden Prairie great, is that we don’t always have the best, the top D-1 recruits, but we have great kids, and we’re going to win with great kids.

NW: How much does the new Gopher football stadium mean as far as your possible decision?

TG: You know, I walked in here for Junior Day when there wasn’t any fans, and I came here after the spring game, and it really impresses me. It’s just a difference from the Metrodome…the energy is so much more, everyone just loves this place so much already, and everyone’s excited to be here and enjoy Gopher football…it’s great.


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