FORMER AFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR JOINS THE LIONS

by Alex Husting

With training camp starting in under a month, the Lions are still making moves to bolster their roaster before the 2021 season begins. This week, they signed Antwane Grant, a wide receiver who played collegiately at Western Kentucky before playing in the NFL, CFL and AFL.

In two years at Western Kentucky, Grant caught 96 passes for 1210 yards and 13 touchdowns. His performance for the Hilltoppers earned him a spot on the Cincinnati Bengals in 2016 as an undrafted free agent. He played in three preseason games and had two catches before being cut after the third game.

Grant eventually moved on to the CFL in 2017 and joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders and played in five games, making seven catches during that stretch. He left the CFL completely in 2018 and headed to the AFL.

In 2019, he joined the Atlantic City Blackjacks and the 2019 season would end up being the best of Grant’s young career. He played in 13 games, making 72 catches for 959 yards and 15 touchdowns, as well as two rushing touchdowns. Grant shared the AFL Rookie of the Year award with Fabian Guerra, a wideout for the Columbus Destroyers. It seemed like Grant was only getting started and would soon become a household name in the AFL, however, that all changed when the AFL folded in 2019. 

Grant had found his footing in Arena football and looked to continue that so he joined the Massachusetts Pirates of the NAL for the 2020 season. He ran into yet another roadblock when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the NAL to cancel the 2020 season. After that, the Pirates left the NAL and headed to the IFL and now Grant has returned to the NAL and joined the Lions.

As the 2021 season approaches, Grant will look to continue the success he had nearly two years ago with the Destroyers and try to get back on track after almost two years without football. He brings his versatility and experience to the Lions’ receiving core and both will be valuable as the Lions look to make a championship run this season. 

ABOUT THE COLUMBUS LIONS

The Columbus Lions are members of the National Arena League (NAL). Founded in 2007, the Columbus Lions are starting their 15th season in 2021. The Lions are a 3x league champion and 13 playoff appearances in their rich history. The Lions play their home games at Hughston Field in the Columbus Civic Center. Lions Season Ticket Memberships are on sale now call (706) 322-3336 or visit columbuslions.com. Follow the Lions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Lionsfootball/, twitter @columbuslions and instagram.com/Columbuslions.

ABOUT NATIONAL ARENA LEAGUE

The National Arena League was founded in 2016 and hosted its inaugural season in 2017 as the premier league in arena football. The National Arena League will kick off its fifth season in 2021. For more information regarding expansion opportunities or partnerships, contact Commissioner Chris Siegfried at chris@nationalarenaleague.com For more information about the NAL visit www.nationalarenaleague.com, facebook.com/nationalarenaleauge, twitter.com/NALfootball, Instagram.com/nationalarenaleague.