Rivals Rewind: Eric LeGrand

Of all the people Eric LeGrand inspires, one of the most unlikely may be the man he was trying to tackle on that fateful day five years ago.

Malcolm Brown, the Army kick returner who collided with LeGrand on a play that left the Rutgers defensive lineman paralyzed from the neck down, stays in touch with the man who unintentionally put his name in the headlines.

"Every now and then I get to talk to him," LeGrand said. "Every now and then we talk about stuff and how everything is going. I remember he sent me a text last year telling me he was using me as his daily inspiration. When he said that to me, that really touched my heart because he's protecting and serving our country and he's thinking about me and using me as an inspiration? That really got me."

While Brown touched LeGrand, it is LeGrand who continues to touch the world. In the five years since his injury, LeGrand has graduated from Rutgers and become a spokesperson and fundraiser for Team LeGrand, a foundation that is part of the Christopher and Dana Reeve foundation that focuses on care and research for people living with paralysis. His 'An Evening With Eric LeGrand' fundraiser on Oct. 1, the third annual, raised $38,000 for a three-year total of $105,000. Donations for the silent auction portion of the program came from the New York Giants, New York Jets, New England Patriots, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Red Bulls, and, of course, Rutgers.

LeGrand is more than just a fundraiser. He is co-host of the weekly Kyle Flood radio show and part of the Rutgers game-day radio broadcast team. He also co-hosts once a week of College Sports Coast to Coast on SiriusXM.

After countless hours rehabbing at the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation, LeGrand can shrug his shoulders, his fingers twitch and he can lean forward and backward without toppling. It is significant progress given his injury, and he understands in some ways he is fortunate.

"A lot of people wish me well and support me," LeGrand said. "I take time to talk to them even if I'm in a rush because without their support I don't know where I would be. It's crazy how many random people have reached out to me, wished me well and want to be a part of my life and help me out. I never take that for granted."

LeGrand spends a lot of time raising money for his foundation and giving speeches across the country, in addition to his rehab and the time he spends around the Rutgers football program. With his jersey retired at the stadium, LeGrand sometimes reflects on what brought him to Rutgers in the first place. The three-star recruit out of Colonia High School in New Jersey was ranked as the No. 13 player in his home state and No. 21 at inside linebacker with offers from a handful of schools including Maryland and Virginia. However, the home state pull was there from early in his high school career.

"Back then I was talking with Coach [Greg] Schiano, I remember he gave me a call and he was telling me how they'd been recruiting me since my freshman year," said LeGrand. "Rutgers sent it [the offer] over that September of my junior year. He wanted to know where my head was at and I thought about all the times I'd been to Rutgers, and you know it's only 20 minutes away from my house, and everything that was going on back then with that 2006 season. Then they had another good season in 2007 and I thought, 'Why should I leave? I should be a part of everything that's going on in Jersey.'"

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"It's crazy how many random people have reached out to me, wished me well and want to be a part of my life and help me out. I never take that for granted."

-- Eric LeGrand

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell remembers LeGrand as a player and as a recruit.

"He was such a positive and energetic kid and he was a big, thick middle linebacker," Farrell said. "We actually saw him as kid who would grow into a defensive lineman because he was around 260 pounds in high school, or as a massive fullback because he was so mobile and agile for his size. He wasn't the quickest linebacker in space but he could hit and Rutgers made him a big-time priority."

After committing, LeGrand became one of the vocal leaders of his recruiting class.

"Oh yeah, I was definitely into it," he said. "I was trying to get these guys to be a part of what Rutgers was building, especially the local guys. I talked a lot with Scott Vallone and others. Talking to them, saying why go far away when we have this right in our backyard? So yes, I was very, very vocal."

LeGrand is still 'into it', hoping Rutgers can rise above its current issues and become the Big Ten power it hoped it would be when it joined the conference in 2014.

"The Big Ten is huge, but they need to keep these Jersey guys home," LeGrand said. "With the recruiting, I pay attention a little bit, but imagine if all the Jersey guys actually stayed here at Rutgers? Can you imagine what kind of program it would be? I know you've got to keep on building the history so they will stay. You have to have some of the upset wins so you can get these recruits. I could only imagine how dominant Rutgers could be, because in Jersey we produce talent, we all know that. If we get these guys to stay, Rutgers can just really go over the top."

You may not see me every day but just now I'm still continuing the grind with my team #bELievePosted by Eric LeGrand on Wednesday, January 7, 2015