Evening star., 1952-12-10
Boy Once Crippled
By Polio May Shine
For Eagles Sunday
- Washington, D. c.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1852
By Lewis F. Atchison

Football fans who go out toI
Griffith Stadium Sunday to watch
the Redskins and Sammy Baughl
end another season and career,
respectively, will see the hero of
another great sports story inI
action when Harry Grant takes his
place at right end for the Phila-
delphia Eagles. And if they'reI
roofing for Sam and the Redskins,
Mr.. Grant might send them home
unhappy.
The 6-foot-3, 188-pounder, who
caught two touchdown passes
against the Redskins in their first
game with the Eagles this season,
is in his second year with Phila-
delphia, but it was almost a mill
lion-to-one he'd never make it.
You see, Harry was stricken with
polio when he was 9, and doctors
doubted if his right leg ever would
function properly. But he fooled
them and became an all-around
athlete at Minnesota and a top
flight pro football end.
He has trouble dancing" said
Eddie Hogan. Eagles publicity
man. Honest. his wife is still
trying to teach him-he still has
a slight limp in the leg. But he
gets along all right otherwise"
Played for Great Lakes.
Since Grant won't appear in
Sundays halftine show, dancing
dement's won't count against him.
Coach Curly Lambeau of the Red
skins is more interested in stop
ping him from catching passes.
Drafted into the Navy after
graduating from Superior, Wis,
High School, where Ernie Nevers
and Tuffy Leemans preceded him,
Grant played football under Coach
Paul Brown of Cleveland at Great
Lakes Training Center. After get
ting out of the service Harry en-
rolled at Minnesota and clicked
from the start. His understudy
was Gordon Soltau, San Francisco
end, who leads the NFL in scoring,
but who broke his leg last Sunday
And football wasn't Grants only
game. He pitched for the base
ball team, played forward in bas-
ketball and in his spare time tried
out for swimming.
Minnesota was SO impressed by.
Grants three-letter ability it,
awarded him a trophy as the
greatest all-around athlete in the
university's history.
Grant, gray-haired since Is, won
19 games and lost three pitching
for Forest Lake. Mimi, semipro
nine last summer. Scouts have
told him he looked good enough to
pitch in Class A or B competition, |
but not the majors. Harry. on
the other hand. is satisfied to re-
main in Forest Lake, where he
picked up $4,000 for the season.
Added to his football earnings
he'll do all right in the banking
column.
Deceptive Pass Receiver.
Hogan says Grant is one of the
most deceptive pass receivers the
Eagles have ever had. Not partic-
ularly fast, Harry is shifty and has
a trick of delaying the catch until
the last fraction of a second. A
defensive back who doesn't see the
ball can't tell where it is from
Grants motions.
The big fellow was Philadel-
phias No. l draft choice in 1850
but elected to play basketball in
stead with the Minneapolis Lakers
When he joined the club last year
the late Bo McMillin used him as
a defensive end. and although
Harry did all right. he had his
heart set on an offensive position.
Coach Joe Trimble, whose astute
juggling of talent has made
vast difference in the Eagles for
tunes this year moved him to Of
fense and Grant responded with
a record-smashing performance.
He has gained 941 yards on 50
passes to date. surprising Pete
Pihos' old mark of 766 yards on
IS receptions in 1948. Against
Dallas last Sunday Grant gained
203 yards to best the previous high
Of 1874 hung up by Jack Ferrante
In 1948.
It's going to be a great day Sun
day. and one of the leading char
acters may be Harry Grant,