Troy University Athletics
Senior Feature - Grant Betts
9/26/2023 10:12:00 AM | Football
This story originally appeared in GAMEDAY, Troy's official gameday program
Before the start of every home game, offensive lineman Grant Betts has one specific place he always looks towards when he comes out of the tunnel into Veterans Memorial Stadium. It's right under the press box, in the cardinal seats at the 50 yard-line. He knows his parents and brothers will be there waving.
"My mom's always been kind of picky about where she sits when it comes to football games," Betts said. "So, I can look up there and spot them and I usually do most games. There'll be up there waving, and I'll wave back."
Football has always been the family business for the Betts. He has two older brothers who played football and when Grant was seven, it was his turn to take on the physical game. There was one caveat though, the physicality was a bit much.
"Believe it or not, after year two, there was one day I came home and told my mom that I didn't want to play football anymore. I didn't like getting hit," he said.
Betts, who measures in at 6-foot-3 and 289 pounds, eventually found the enjoyment of football when he started to grow into his body and become bigger than everyone else. Having brothers who picked on him growing up also added to the toughness. Soon, it became a lot harder for him to get hit and taken down and he enjoyed getting to push people around on the field.
When Betts decided to continue his football career with the Trojans and move from Spanish Fort, Ala., where he is from, to Troy, the family business was still alive and strong. His cousin, J.L. Gaston was the starting right tackle for the 2018 season, Betts' first with the team.
While their time together in Troy was only for one season, Gaston was a big reason that Betts made the decision to become a Trojan.
"Having him here definitely made my decision a little easier. I knew I wanted to be close to family and it's really easy when there is family here on campus and you can go talk to them," Betts said. "Obviously [he is] somebody that I could model myself after because he was a great player too."
While football has been a big portion of his life, Betts' athletic career goes a lot deeper. Betts was a three-sport athlete in high school. He played baseball at a high level at Spanish Fort High School, something he really enjoyed. His older brother also played baseball, and to this day each of them are huge baseball fans.
One of the more unknown things about Betts is that on top of playing high school football and baseball, he also lettered in bowling. While he didn't have the same success as a bowler as he did in football and baseball, he really enjoys the sport.
His offensive line coach at Spanish Fort, John Turner, is the reason he got into bowling.
"I probably would not be here at Troy without him," Betts said. "And one day at our offensive line meeting he said, 'Oh by the way, Spanish Fort is creating a bowling team, and I am going to be the bowling coach so you guys all have to bowl.' So, I took that and ran with it.
Betts hasn't missed any time while playing football at Troy. His toughness is unquestioned. In 2022, he played 915 of 917 offensive snaps. But bowling? That's a new level of endurance.
"You can get sick of bowling after like two hours," Betts said. "You get thumb blisters and what not. It's actually a really grueling sport."
While being a professional bowler isn't in the cards for him, Betts does have his eyes set on the next level of football when his final season at Troy comes to an end this winter. One thing that will help him take that next step is his on-field versatility. While at Troy he's started every game for the last three seasons and has done so while playing left guard and right tackle.
"I'm really grateful that I've got to try these different positions because at the next level one thing they look at is versatility, and I pride myself on being that and playing a lot of positions."
In the future when others look back at the impact Betts made over the last six seasons, he hopes they remember him as giving everything he had to the program, even through the ups and downs.
"I hope they say that I was a hard worker, a good teammate – a guy that you can count on – and a winner," Betts said. "Not much to it."
And while Troy wasn't home for him in 2018, six years later it's become just that.
"I'm really grateful for everything Troy has given me. I've gotten a degree, and I'm currently working on my master's now. It's kind of like a second home to me… I wouldn't trade it for the world."
Before the start of every home game, offensive lineman Grant Betts has one specific place he always looks towards when he comes out of the tunnel into Veterans Memorial Stadium. It's right under the press box, in the cardinal seats at the 50 yard-line. He knows his parents and brothers will be there waving.
"My mom's always been kind of picky about where she sits when it comes to football games," Betts said. "So, I can look up there and spot them and I usually do most games. There'll be up there waving, and I'll wave back."
Football has always been the family business for the Betts. He has two older brothers who played football and when Grant was seven, it was his turn to take on the physical game. There was one caveat though, the physicality was a bit much.
"Believe it or not, after year two, there was one day I came home and told my mom that I didn't want to play football anymore. I didn't like getting hit," he said.
Betts, who measures in at 6-foot-3 and 289 pounds, eventually found the enjoyment of football when he started to grow into his body and become bigger than everyone else. Having brothers who picked on him growing up also added to the toughness. Soon, it became a lot harder for him to get hit and taken down and he enjoyed getting to push people around on the field.
When Betts decided to continue his football career with the Trojans and move from Spanish Fort, Ala., where he is from, to Troy, the family business was still alive and strong. His cousin, J.L. Gaston was the starting right tackle for the 2018 season, Betts' first with the team.
While their time together in Troy was only for one season, Gaston was a big reason that Betts made the decision to become a Trojan.
"Having him here definitely made my decision a little easier. I knew I wanted to be close to family and it's really easy when there is family here on campus and you can go talk to them," Betts said. "Obviously [he is] somebody that I could model myself after because he was a great player too."
While football has been a big portion of his life, Betts' athletic career goes a lot deeper. Betts was a three-sport athlete in high school. He played baseball at a high level at Spanish Fort High School, something he really enjoyed. His older brother also played baseball, and to this day each of them are huge baseball fans.
One of the more unknown things about Betts is that on top of playing high school football and baseball, he also lettered in bowling. While he didn't have the same success as a bowler as he did in football and baseball, he really enjoys the sport.
His offensive line coach at Spanish Fort, John Turner, is the reason he got into bowling.
"I probably would not be here at Troy without him," Betts said. "And one day at our offensive line meeting he said, 'Oh by the way, Spanish Fort is creating a bowling team, and I am going to be the bowling coach so you guys all have to bowl.' So, I took that and ran with it.
Betts hasn't missed any time while playing football at Troy. His toughness is unquestioned. In 2022, he played 915 of 917 offensive snaps. But bowling? That's a new level of endurance.
"You can get sick of bowling after like two hours," Betts said. "You get thumb blisters and what not. It's actually a really grueling sport."
While being a professional bowler isn't in the cards for him, Betts does have his eyes set on the next level of football when his final season at Troy comes to an end this winter. One thing that will help him take that next step is his on-field versatility. While at Troy he's started every game for the last three seasons and has done so while playing left guard and right tackle.
"I'm really grateful that I've got to try these different positions because at the next level one thing they look at is versatility, and I pride myself on being that and playing a lot of positions."
In the future when others look back at the impact Betts made over the last six seasons, he hopes they remember him as giving everything he had to the program, even through the ups and downs.
"I hope they say that I was a hard worker, a good teammate – a guy that you can count on – and a winner," Betts said. "Not much to it."
And while Troy wasn't home for him in 2018, six years later it's become just that.
"I'm really grateful for everything Troy has given me. I've gotten a degree, and I'm currently working on my master's now. It's kind of like a second home to me… I wouldn't trade it for the world."
Players Mentioned
OL
/ FootballPlayers Postgame (Arkansas State)
Sunday, January 18
Scott Cross Postgame (Arkansas State)
Sunday, January 18
Player Postgame Press Conference (Ashley Baez, Rachel Leggett) - Texas State
Saturday, January 17
Chanda Rigby Postgame Press Conference - Texas State
Saturday, January 17