Photo Courtesy UCF Athletics

Former UCF tight end Grant Stevens’ college football career never unfolded the way he envisioned, but after multiple injuries, five surgeries and an early medical retirement, the Ponte Vedra (FL) native says he wouldn’t change his experience in Orlando.

Appearing on the Sons of UCF, Stevens opened up about his recruiting journey, the physical setbacks that derailed his playing career, the quarterback battles and coaching changes during his time with the Knights, and why he still considers UCF “a dream come true.”

Stevens admitted he wasn’t always viewed as a future Division I football player. As an underclassman at Nease High School, he described himself as a “big, tall, skinny kid” who struggled to stand out.

His development changed after working with a local coach, whose brutally honest coaching style helped transform Stevens into a college prospect.

“He looked me in the face and told me, ‘You suck. You’re wasting my time,’” Stevens recalled. “I just kept calling him back every day until I didn’t suck anymore.”

Initially committed to Coastal Carolina, Stevens ultimately flipped to UCF after building a strong relationship with head coach Gus Malzahn and tight ends coach Brian Blackmon. Stevens said a lengthy meeting with the coaching staff convinced him Orlando was where he belonged.

“I just fell in love with it,” Stevens said. “The campus, the fan base, being close to home—it felt like home.”

Stevens enrolled early at UCF in 2022, sacrificing his final semester of high school to begin preparing for college football. Although the transition was difficult, he believed the extra semester in the strength program and learning the offense would pay dividends.

Instead, injuries quickly became the defining storyline of his career.

After suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery during his freshman season, Stevens returned determined to compete for playing time entering 2023. But just days before fall camp, a freak household accident dramatically changed the course of his career.

While helping his mother prepare for a Fourth of July gathering, Stevens dropped a large glass bowl that shattered across his ankle.

The sharp glass severed tendons, nerves and an artery in his ankle, requiring emergency surgery and eventually a second reconstructive procedure after the initial repair failed.

“I still don’t have feeling in my left foot,” Stevens said.

The recovery sidelined him for the entire 2023 season, marking the second straight year he wouldn’t be able to suit up for the Knights.

Stevens credited Blackmon, his teammates and UCF’s athletic training staff for helping him navigate the emotional challenges of spending so much time in rehabilitation instead of on the field.

Although still not fully healthy, Stevens battled back and was able to see the field in 2024, recording one reception in the opener against New Hampshire. Looking back, he said that moment remains meaningful despite his career never reaching the heights he once imagined.

“I’m just thankful I got to put on that jersey and step on the field,” he said.

Stevens also offered insight into several defining moments during the Malzahn era.

Discussing UCF’s 2022 quarterback competition, Stevens said players genuinely had no idea whether John Rhys Plumlee or Mikey Keene would win the starting job.

“It was a true quarterback battle,” Stevens said, adding that either decision would have surprised portions of the locker room.

He also addressed Keene’s widely discussed decision not to burn his redshirt for the 2022 American Athletic Conference Championship Game, saying opinions among players were mixed but many understood Keene’s perspective after losing the starting position. Looking back, Stevens believes Plumlee’s mobility ultimately made him a better fit for Malzahn’s offensive system.

Stevens also reflected on UCF’s disappointing 2024 season, when expectations for a talented roster quickly unraveled during a 4-8 campaign that ended with Malzahn stepping down to become offensive coordinator at Florida State.

Despite the losing record, Stevens believes talent was never the issue.

“I never felt like we were outmatched,” he said. “We had a lot of really good individual players. I just don’t think everything meshed together.”

He described the mood inside the program late in the season as difficult, with players trying to stay focused despite mounting losses and uncertainty surrounding Malzahn’s future.

As for Stevens’ football journey, after undergoing a fifth surgery in four years following the 2024 season, Stevens ultimately made the difficult decision to medically retire.

Rather than continue risking long-term damage, he decided it was time to prioritize life beyond football.

“I still want to be a dad and be able to walk,” he said.

Today, Stevens has transitioned into the mortgage industry while remaining active through golf and Muay Thai training. He recently purchased a home with his girlfriend, former UCF soccer player Dani Chung, and says the discipline he developed through football has carried over into his professional career.

When asked what comes to mind every time he looks at his framed UCF jersey hanging in his office, Stevens didn’t focus on injuries or missed opportunities.

Instead, he reflected on gratitude.

“I’m overwhelmed with joy,” he said. “I love UCF. I’m a Knight till I die.”

For Stevens, a career defined by perseverance rather than statistics ultimately left him with something more valuable than football success—a lasting appreciation for the university, the people who supported him and the lessons that continue to shape his life.