Mt. Lebanon gridder commits to Villanova
Paul Grattan committed to Villanova University prior to opening of football training camp.
Mt. Lebanon linemen Paul Grattan and Cam Haley listen intently as assistant coach Tom Stilley details directions for the next drill during pre-season football camp.
Improvement wasn’t just a part of the name that Paul J. Grattan incorporated into his construction company. It was a motto by which the husband of Patricia Newell lived. And, long before he passed away on April 8, 2012, he instilled that work ethic in his son.
Today, Paul Grattan Jr. adheres to the enhancement motto as he focuses on both his athletics and academics at Mt. Lebanon High School. The 6-4, 295-pound lineman is not just one of the players to watch this fall. He is also a Villanova recruit.
“I lost him, too young,” said Gratton of his father. “I miss him a lot and I think about him when I play and remember what he taught me.
“The lesson I learned most from him was to always keep improving. Keep getting better,” Gratton continued. “He would tell me to work on everything. ‘Go hard and get better,’ he would say. It’s always something I think about when I play.”
And, while Grattan knows that his father is ‘watching over’ him when he plays, others, too, have recognized his progress. A starter since his sophomore season, Grattan attracted the attention of a number of colleges. He garnered seven legitimate scholarship offers, including those from Bowling Green, Toledo, William and Mary, Richmond, St. Francis and Duquesne before accepting the bid from Villanova.
The promise of a new athletics’ facility coupled with the experience of coaches, such as Mark Ferrante and Jake Cox, appealed to Grattan. An assistant head coach, Ferrante directs the offensive line. He is in his 29th season. Cox is the strength and conditioning coach.
“Number one, I loved the campus and the staff is amazing,” said Grattan of Villanova, which finished 11-3 overall and 7-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association last season. “I loved the offensive line coach. He’s put a lot of guys in the NFL and that’s always the ultimate goal of course. The idea of a new building was cool, too, and their lifting program intrigued me.”
Because, Grattan says, Villanova has demonstrated great increases in strength during the playing season, he anticipates that under the watchful eye of Coach Cox that his numbers will improve, too. Currently, he benches 315, squats 395 and power cleans 275 pounds.
Despite his bulk, close to 300 pounds, Grattan maintains fleetness uncommon among big linemen. He has been clocked in the 40-yard dash at 5.3 seconds.
“I’m fast for a guy my size and sometimes people are surprised by it,” he said. “Villanova liked how I run uptempo. They liked how I go after it every down without a drop off in intensity.”
At Mt. Lebanon, Grattan and the Blue Devils certainly go after it. They like to keep the pace moving on offense with the expectations of running as many as 80 plays a game. Since his sophomore season in the starting line-up, Grattan has complied.
“Paul understands what we are trying and need to do,” said Lebo head coach Mike Melnyk. “He has always been a good player for us and he has gotten stronger and more aggressive along the way. He has good size and a great motor. He’s a very cerebral player and he has great intensity. This season, we expect him to be dominant. An anchor,” Melnyk added.
Though recruited as an offensive guard, Grattan anchors Lebo’s offensive line from the tackle position. A two-way performer, he starts at end on defense. “I prefer offense because I am better at it,” he admitted. “But on defense, you have to be quicker at end.”
This season, Grattan hopes that he is better at both. From an offensive standpoint, however, he sees areas in which he can improve, such as staying low and keeping his hands inside. “If they get out,” he said of his hands, “then you lose power. Keep them inside, you can latch on (without holding) better.”
Grattan hopes his play helps Lebo improve its ranking. The Blue Devils were fourth in the Southeastern Conference at 4-3. They finished 5-5 overall after losing to McKeesport, 35-10, in the first round of the WPIAL Quad-A playoffs.
“We want to win a WPIAL title,” Grattan said. “If we do all the right things and do what we are supposed to do, then there isn’t a team in the league that can stop us. The little things are so important. In the past, we’ve defeated ourselves. We didn’t do the little things. We have to take steps to do the right things. Make moves. Pop blocks and everything,” he continued.
From a personal standpoint, Grattan understands his responsibilities. “I have to make sure I am improving every day and working hard. My mind is focused on one game at a time and I don’t let distractions hinder me.”
With his college choice out of the way, Grattan is focused on high school football. Ranked in the Top 100 in the state by the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association, Grattan hopes to make the all-state team while leading Lebo to a championship.
After that he can concentrate on the future. At Villanova, he plans to major in public administration then enroll in a masters’ program. Eventually, he hopes to emulate his uncles and their public service. Mike Newell belonged to the City of Pittsburgh’s fire department for more than 25 years. Eugene Grattan served as head of the Fraternal Order of Police for the City of Pittsburgh.
“I wanted to be a police officer but my mom wouldn’t let me. She said it’s too dangerous,” Grattan said. “So I decided that I wanted to be a firefighter in Pittsburgh. I just love the city.”
Grattan loves Lebo, too. He says the community is close, just like his team. “Everybody knows each other. It’s a great place to live.”