Ncaa Denies Redshirt To Ball State Tight End Grant

gangrene · July 2, 2010

FOOTBALL: NCAA denies redshirt to Ball State tight end Grant

Former tight end and captain Madaris Grant was denied a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, Ball State University announced Wednesday. Grant will remain with the Cardinals as a student assistant coach this year while he continues to rehab his torn ACL. He was injured in the first quarter opening night against the University of North Texas last September.

Coach Stan Parrish had been confident Grant would return to the field this season, but said Wednesday his optimism may have been misguided. Parrish said the NCAA requires two debilitating injuries to grant a sixth year and Grant voluntarily sat out his freshman year as a redshirt.

"A lot of us are vague on the criteria for those things because we don't deal with them every day," Parrish said. "Personally I feel terrible for him."

Parrish initially announced Grant would apply for the extra year of eligibility in September, along with MiQuale Lewis. The running back received word in January he would receive a fifth season of eligibility.

Grant's chances of getting an extra year were always worse than Lewis'. In September, Pat Quinn, associate athletic director for compliance and operations, said Grant's initial redshirt made his request more difficult.

Ball State was so sure Grant and Lewis would both return this year that they weren't honored on Senior Night. Instead, Grant will end his career with 39 receptions for 405 yards and two touchdowns.

I feel bad for Grant to have to end his college career, and probably football career, in that way...and then he wasn't even honored on Senior night. I guess the MAC doesn't get any more preferential treatment from the NCAA than the SBC does.