Grant Hermanns

Grant Hermanns's Biography

Grant Monroe Hermanns, born on March 5, 1998, is a talented American professional football player, known best as an offensive tackle. The athlete, currently a free agent, has shown immense resilience and determination throughout his sports career, overcoming both health and injury setbacks.

Hermanns was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he showcased a passion for football from a young age, earning the title of a four-year letter winner at Rio Rancho High School. His brilliance stretched beyond the football field into academics where he won first place at a high school research exposition for his exemplary work in chemistry and biochemistry.

During his junior and senior years, Hermanns’ extraordinary football skills garnered him the All-Metro honors from the Albuquerque Football Coaches Association and the All-State from the New Mexico Coaches Association. His contribution significantly led his team to secure the impressive 2014 New Mexico 6A state championship with an undefeated 13–0 record.

In an unfortunate turn of events at a football combine meant to propel his chances of Division I recruitment, Hermanns suffered a hip avulsion fracture during the 40-yard dash. Showing immense resilience, he finished the combine but had to miss several games due to injury. Despite his shortened season, his exceptional performance in the six games he played saw him earn All-Metro and All-State honors.

Even with success on his side, Hermanns faced a medical hurdle in the form of unusual fevers and drastic weight loss. Despite doctors not initially finding the issue, his deteriorating health condition revealed a cyst in his hip, causing his liver enzymes to leak from his body. This condition, linked to a staph infection possibly received on the football field, led to surgery where Hermanns temporarily lost feeling in part of his left leg due to nerve damage. Despite this, he learned to walk again and impressively won the heavyweight division at the New Mexico Class 6A State Wrestling Championships a few months post-surgery.

On earning a scholarship from Purdue University, Hermanns redshirted his first year, 2016, and returned stronger in 2017, earning a spot in the Boilermakers’ starting lineup despite being a redshirt-freshman. After an unfortunate season-ending knee injury, he still managed to block for a total of 403.1 yards offense per game, earning him the 2017 Academic All-Big Ten Conference selection.

For the next two years 2018 and 2019, Hermanns continued his upward climb, starting all games, and helping his team achieve remarkable yardages. His senior year, though marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, still saw him receive his fourth Academic All-Big Ten Conference selection and an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten conference player.

After his college career, Hermanns decided to declare for the NFL Draft, leading him to sign with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent following the 2021 NFL draft. After being waived and later re-signed, Hermanns spent the 2021 season on the practice squad, playing in all three preseason games in the 2022 season.

However, after three temporary activations in 2022, Hermanns was released on October 11, 2022. He was signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shortly afterwards. After being released in August 2023, Hermanns was claimed off waivers for a second stint with the New York Jets, proving his undeniable skill and resilience in the sport of football.