TJ Grant has been absent from the Octagon for nearly a year after suffering a concussion during training while rolling JiuJitsu, and hasn’t been able to shake the adverse effects from the concussion.
He revealed that one of the NHL’s biggest stars, Sydney Crosby reached out to him to offer support since Crosby missed nearly 2-seasons after suffering a brutal concussion.
“[Crosby] got in touch with me through a mutual friend,” Grant explained. “Nice guy, reached out, gave me some information and kind of told me about his situation and he recommended I go check this place out. I’m really appreciative of him taking the time. I know he’s a busy guy. It meant a lot.
“We’re just a few years apart in age and grew up in the same town, so you just kind of know some of the same people and he took the time to reach out. It speaks a lot to the kind of human he is.”
“I’ve been feeling pretty good for a while. If you don’t feel normal – and there’s definitely been days where, do I feel normal? No – but when I feel good, I feel good. I’m getting pretty close to feeling 100 percent normal, but still a little bit of a hurdle. Actually, I’m going down to Atlanta to see some people. They’ll be the same people that Sidney Crosby went down and saw when he had his injury. I’m just optimistic. That’s all. That’s about it.”
…
“I can train balls out fitness and all that stuff. I have no ill effects,” Grant says. “I roll jiu-jitsu. I hit pads, all that stuff. I get my heart rate through the roof. I’m fine. I’m in great shape. For me, it comes down to…it’s just weird. When you don’t feel normal, you just don’t feel normal. That’s kinda where I’m at still. I want to make sure I’m 100 percent. When I am, I’m definitely going to get back in there.”
TJ Grant spoke with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour about his return to MMA once he recovers from concussion symptoms.