June 22, 2010
John Grantham, a part of Georgia Tech’s 1998 ACC co-championship football team, passed away last weekend.
Grantham was found dead at his apartment Saturday afternoon.
Grantham recently served as a trainer at Full Throttle Fitness in Gainesville, Ga. He had worked as a trainer in mixed martial arts. On the Web site georgiafighters.com, many of his friends and former teammates have written messages and comments about “Big John”.
At Georgia Tech, Grantham joined the Yellow Jacket football program as a non-scholarship player in 1996. He spent time as a reserve on both the offensive and defensive lines before settling in as a defensive tackle as a senior in 1998.
The 1998 Tech team, under head coach George O’Leary, won 10 of its final 11 games to finish 10-2. That record included a 21-19 victory at 12th-ranked Georgia in the final game of the regular season and a 35-28 win against 17th-ranked Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. Eight players off the 1998 team earned All-ACC honors including first-team selections Joe Hamilton, Craig Page and Rodney Williams.
Grantham came to The Flats from Rabun County High School, where he also participated in track and soccer.
We hope to provide information about the funeral soon.
