Orantes Grant Cantrell: Going Home

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Going Home

We just got discharged and it is time to pack up and head for home. Hope the car seat works like its supposed to. Just got all the birth certificate stuff filled out...thank you all for voting. O-daddy will be very happy with his new name. Erin will probably take over the blog after a day or two....so let me just say thanks to all of you who have checked it out while I was responsible. Feel free to check back from time to time to see what's going on. Thanks to everyone who visited and will do so at home as well. See you then.

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The Legend of Number 58

Many have asked where the name Orantes Grant comes from, and a valid question it is. Here is the story from who the man was, to why my son will be named in his honor.
The original OG was a linebacker for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1996-1999 and was a regular starter for 3 seasons for teams with loads of talent but fell a bit short in the realm of success. With teammates like Stinchcomb and Bailey (several with that name as a matter of fact) it was never in question what the Donnan Dawgs could have done. But none of the shortcomings were due to the man Orantes Grant, as he played as hard and as well as many of the best to ever do so in Athens. He started 36 straight games for the Donnan Dawgs, is 13th All-time in career tackles, and was a second-team All-SEC performer as a senior (2nd on the team in tackles behind Richard Seymore, while sharing time at backer with Boss Bailey, Will Witherspoon, and Kendrel Bell). He had earned renown from his Junior campaign that saw 120 tackles, including 22 in one game against Kentucky, and was a projected All-American and a Butkus Award nominee (Nation's Top Linebacker) before the 1999 campaign began. But it was in his sophomore season that he became my favorite player. After being a part of the best game I ever saw (1996 win over Auburn in 4 OT's), the Dawgs had a chance to defeat the Tigers two years in a row as they visited Athens in 1997. On a big 3rd down, Orantes came up with a huge stop against the Plainsmen late in the game that gave the Dawgs a chance to make something happen. With utter joy and glee at the beauty that is a perfect tackle, I swore to the 86,000+ fans in Sanford Stadium that I would name my first born child after him. The Dawgs did not win that Autumn day, but a promise was made that has been realized 10 years later. Thank the good Lord above it wasn't a girl!

Orantes Grant Cantrell

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Going Home

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Orantes Grant

The Legend of Number 58

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