ARTICLE: Ashton Grant eager for "huge opportunity" to coach with Browns
ARTICLE: Pace Alumna Makes History in the NFL
NE10 Alums Making Waves in NFL Playoffs.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – As the National Football League prepares for the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Northeast-10 Conference is strongly represented – not just on the field, but also on the sideline.
Assumption’s Ashton Grant and Pace’s Maral Javadifar, a pair of NE10 alums, will take the field this weekend with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively, as they continue their work at the professional level.
Grant, a 2018 graduate and former football student-athlete with the Greyhounds, is currently coaching with the Browns as the first-ever recipient of the Bill Willis Coaching Fellowship – a position created by the Cleveland organization for a rising minority coach with a focus on the offensive side of the ball.
Prior to joining the Browns, Grant spent two years working with Division I-AA Holy Cross football under his former college coach at Assumption, Bob Chesney. Grant was charged with handling special teams quality control.
Grant had a historically successful career with Assumption football, which culminated with him serving as team captain in his senior year in 2017 – the year that the Greyhounds reached the NCAA quarterfinals. He was named NE10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2016, while earning all-league honors three times. He finished as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards (3,204) and receiving touchdowns (36) – good for eighth and seventh in NE10 history, respectively.
Following his collegiate career, Grant was invited to rookie mini-camps by the Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders.
Javadifar, a 2012 graduate and former basketball student-athlete with the Setters, was announced as assistant strength and conditioning coach by Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians in the spring of 2019. Along with Lori Locust, the assistant defensive line coach, Javadifar became one of the first full-time female coaches in franchise history.
After graduating from Pace, Javadifar went on to earn a doctorate in physical therapy from New York Medical College. As a student-athlete, she committed to the field of sports medicine, which was fueled by her own injury and subsequent recovery.
Javadifar was part of three Pace teams that reached the NCAA East Regionals (2010-12) and the Setters went a remarkable 84-37 (.694) in her four years with the program, including 62-26 (.705) in NE10 play. Her sophomore season was her best statistically, averaging 8.9 points per contest, which was good for third on the team.
Another NE10 connection is in the Tampa Bay organization with Javadifar, as Assumption’s Zach Triner, a 2015 graduate, is the long snapper for the Bucs.
Tampa travels to play New Orleans this weekend and former Assumption standout Deonte Harris plays for the Saints, so the NE10 will have three familiar faces at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome when the two teams meet.
The NFL Divisional Round will see Grant and the Cleveland Browns travel to play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. on CBS, while Javadifar and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play at the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at 6:40 p.m. on FOX.
ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
