We're counting down the days to kickoff with “99 Warriors,” the greatest Ohio State Buckeyes by jersey number, as voted by the staff of Eleven Warriors.
No. 6 Cie Grant
The ball fell to the turf and Ohio State officially won the 2002 national championship.
LB Cie Grant
1999-2002
b. November 27, 1979 (Dover, Ohio.)
- National Champion (2002)
- Second Team All-Big Ten (2002)
- Third Round Draft Choice (2003)
Cie Grant was an Ohioan all the way. Born in Dover, Ohio, he played at New Philadelphia high school before making his way to Columbus.
While always a consistent player, Grant is best known for the last play of the 2002 BCS National Championship Game, where he blitzed off the edge untouched and pressured Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey almost immediately, leading to a rushed throw that Ohio State knocked down to become national champions.
Grant was originally recruited to Ohio State as a defensive back, but was switched to linebacker before the 2002 campaign. He played in 11 games his junior season, and all 13 in his senior year. He finished his career with three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
A fun fact about Grant is that he was (and presumably still is) a great singer. He performed in high school with the Delphian Chorale, the high school's select choir. In college, Jim Tressel would often make Grant sing Carmen Ohio solo at various times.
Grant was drafted in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, for whom he played two seasons. He finished his NFL career with three tackles.
