Nebraska running back Anthony Grant will be presented with the David Rowlands Male Student-Athlete of the Year award during the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Foundation Awards tonight in Charlotte, N.C. Grant is being recognized as the top male student-athlete across all sports in the NJCAA ranks, and he is the first football player to win the award since 2017 and only the fifth since the award began in 1993.
The award caps a decorated final season for Grant at the New Mexico Military Institute. Grant was also the 2021 NJCAA Football Division I Offensive Player of the Year, the Division I rushing champion, a first-team All-American and the MVP of the National Championship Game.
A Georgia native, Buford spent two seasons at the New Mexico Military Institute after beginning his career at Florida State. He rushed for 1,730 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2021, helping the Broncos to the national championship. In the two playoff games, Grant ran for 590 yards and six touchdowns, including 26 carries for 398 yards in the semifinals.
In his two seasons at NMMI, Grant rushed for 2,549 yards and 28 scores. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry and 127.5 rushing yards per game in his Bronco career. He posted 10 100-yard rushing efforts in his 20 games, including four 200-yard rushing games.
Grant enrolled at Nebraska in January, and he had six carries for 69 yards in the Red-White Spring in April. In his first semester in Lincoln, Grant was also a member of the Nebraska Student-Athlete Honor Roll.