Executive Director of the Cricket Celebration Bowl

John Thomas Grant, Jr. was named executive director of the Cricket Celebration Bowl, an HBCU college football postseason bowl game owned and operated by ESPN Events, in August 2015. The first of its kind bowl pits the champion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference against the Southwest Athletic Conference for the HBCU national championship.

In just four years after migrating to Atlanta, Grant became the youngest member to join the 100 Black Men of Atlanta at the age of 30. He was voted its Man of the Year in 1989 after leading the organization’s flagship program Project Success. He served as an elected member of the Board until his selection as Chief Executive Officer in 2001. Grant also served as Chairman of the Atlanta Football Classic, the organization’s largest fundraiser from 2001 to 2015. Under his leadership, the event set record attendance and revenue levels each year and grew into one of the top three recurring sporting events in the state of Georgia.

He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors and has been recognized nationally for his many achievements. Grant serves on several boards including, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Atlanta Sports Council. He is co-founder of the Atlanta Friendship Initiative, serves on the Walt Disney Company’s HBCU Advisory Committee and is a member of the Atlanta Rotary.