Jeff Grantz grew up in the Bel Air neighborhood of Wakefield Meadows. Grantz was a three sport star for the Bobcats. Upon graduation he was drafted by the Orioles but chose to play football and baseball at the University of South Carolina, where he started four years for both squads. He set the school’s rushing record as a sophomore quarterback. He earned All-American honors and finished 9th in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Following graduation, he worked for a sporting goods supply company as a salesman and appearing in advertisement for TV and newspaper.
Ultimately Jeff took a sales position for a for a beverage distributor, where he worked for 33 years before retiring. He still lives in the Columbia, South Carolina area.
HLS-Which ‘organized’ sports did you grow up playing? Did you have a favorite?
JG- I grew up in a neighborhood loaded with athletic kids. We played all sports, all the time. My favorite(s) were football, basketball and baseball. Parks and Recreation teams were available but playing against older kids in the surrounding neighborhoods established the foundation for us before high school
HLS-Many of my father’s friends played for the Bel Air Football teams that ruled from 1950-1965…..what was your impression of BAHS Football as a kid?
JG- We were all aware of Bel Air’s athletic dominance. Part of the reason my father relocated my family from Baltimore to Bel Air as a little boy was because Bel Air had football program (Baltimore Co did not) and BAHS’s athletic programs in general
HLS- Growing up, Al Cesky coached a dominant BAHS football program, then he steps down and his assistant, Pat Hennessy takes over, do you recall if there was a let down within the community?
JG-We were aware that there was change, but the programs were still strong and we played the best schools in the MD and Southeastern PA every week. I started at QB as 10th grader and we won my first game 56-14. Ironically it was against Parkville, where my Dad was the head coach.
In baseball, we were undefeated in the league (32-0) for all 4 of my high school years
HLS-Your sophomore season would be the 1st winning season for Hennessy. Did it feel like BA was up and running again?
Kind of, but we knew we were good. Almost every football game was a close, whether we won or lost
HLS- You and Tommy Amrien were given much of the credit for the resurgence of BA Football…. were you treated differently by the student body?
JG-Tommy and I got much of the credit, but had outstanding players on both sides of the ball. The kids in school treated us like heroes if we won a big game, but it didn’t last long, maybe one day.
HLS- From what I can find (thru the Aegis archives) it looks like you were a starter as a freshman baseball player, for Coach Jack McCracken, (a former player in the Phillies farm system).
JG-I became a full time starter at 2nd base half way thru my freshman season
HLS-Looking back, what’s your recollection of your high school experience?
JG-It was the best time of my life. I wouldn’t trade growing where I did …..with those kids and parents. I feel very fortunate that Dad moved us to Bel Air
HLS- You moved on to the University of So Carolina, where you played football and baseball. Did Tommy Amrien being there help you choose SC?
JG- Having Tommy at SC was great and it helped, but the fact that the SC offered me a scholarship for both/either or baseball and/or football was big. I could play both or either one and my scholarship was good. Most schools wouldn’t allow that
HLS- You started as a sophomore for the football and baseball teams and graduated a a two sport South Carolina legend….what’s your recollection of you college experience.
JG- There are so many great memories. In particular, I asked to take time off of baseball because the football team was installing a new offense for the upcoming season and I needed to be there. I told the baseball coach and asked to miss two weeks of baseball for that reason. He agreed that it was the thing to do. At the end of spring football, the day before the intra squad scrimmage, the baseball coach called and said that he needed me against Clemson the next day because of an injury. So I played in the football game, then 2 hours later, I suited up to help us beat Clemson, which put us in the NCAA playoffs.
One other moment that stands out is in our Homecoming Game my sophomore year, we played University of Ohio. They had scouted us pretty well and our typical game plan wasn’t working. So instead of handing the ball off, I kept and ran up 260 yds (which was the school record at the time…the current record is 274).
HLS- After college, were you looking to MLB or the NFL?
JG – I was drafted by Miami. But they wanted me to play Wide Receiver, so I decided to become a grad assistant for the SC football team and get my masters
