George Fant, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, will join the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Since then, he’s been grabbing headlines and breaking barriers on the sports beat, continuing to shine and stand out long after hanging up his NFL jersey. After a knee injury sidelined him last season, Fant is just about ready to return. He’s developed a pipeline to bring highly athletic basketball players into the sport and successfully transition them to football. His current young protégé is Colin Granger—an athletic basketball star whose motor has more than piqued Fant’s eye and earned his lasting support.
Fant’s loyalty to his hero Granger speaks volumes about his character. This time he made sure Granger got the fly to Kentucky. There, he provided him lodging in his private residence, meals prepared by his personal chef, and intense one-on-one training. This hands-on approach exemplifies Fant’s dedication to nurturing talent and fostering opportunities for athletes who may not typically consider football as a viable career path.
Fant has scouted Granger’s skillset through tape and YouTube highlight reels. As for whether contact will be an issue for Granger, Cooley is confident it won’t. If you look in on that, you’ll find out that dude’s a banger. And he’s not scared to take a full head of steam into the paint. And he’s not running around people. He’s trying to run through them,” Fant stated, highlighting Granger’s aggressive playing style which could translate well to the gridiron.
A seed of inspiration for Fant’s program took root last year as he endured a tumultuous season with the Seattle Seahawks. His knee injury ultimately got him placed on injured reserve. This minor setback has forced him to think about his long, twisty road from basketball to football. Fant pulled inspiration from his own experience as an undrafted free agent in 2016. Having made the transition to successful NFL offensive tackle, he now wants to help other athletes do the same.
Fant used his love of data to build a database on every college basketball player. He thinks all of these athletes can and will make the transition to life in the NFL. After much deliberation, he had whittled his list down to two clear-cut exceptional athletes. Granger, especially, caught his ear with his hard-hitting playing style.
At first, Granger was unsure of Fant’s outreach — in fact, he almost dismissed the legitimacy of the message he received. “I was very skeptical. He said he was an NFL player. He’s got a verified account. He has a following. So you can clearly see he’s a real person,” Granger recounted. He would later write that though he was personally resistant to the idea at first, he was ultimately convinced by Fant’s intensity and resolve.
George had to keep reminding me, in George-speak, “Dude, this doesn’t happen!” Further, it’s amazing that five teams flew out here to look at you. Granger said. This conviction served to erase Granger’s insecurity and nurture a positive perception of his own potential as a football player.
Fant’s mission does not stop with Granger. His vision extends toward establishing an academy for college basketball players, akin to the NFL’s International Pathway Program. This program helps these athletes make the jump from basketball to football. It provides positive, intentional training and relevant resources to equip and empower them on their path.
At 32 years old, Fant is leveraging his experiences and relationships within the NFL community to advocate for aspiring athletes. He’s stayed close with his fellow alums and former teammates Dan Morgan and Dave Canales. Collectively, they are intent on discovering new and innovative methods to grow talent.
As Granger continues his development with Fant’s mentorship, the foundation he is receiving and support from his teammates has begun to leave indelible marks. As he continues in this unfamiliar landscape, Granger understands how unusual these openings are. “George knows his stuff. So while I was skeptical at first, you never know what’s going to happen now,” he stated.
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