OWINGS MILLS, MD - Ramon Harewood was ambling through a college fair in his native Barbados six years ago as a high school senior, pondering his future when he was discovered by Atlanta track and field coach Michael Grant.The chance meeting between a towering, hulking teenager and Grant ultimately created a historic path that guided Harewood to the Baltimore Ravens as the first player from Barbados to reach the NFL.
Harewood had the brain of a rocket scientist and a body frame that approached the height and bulk of former Ravens tackle Orlando Brown. "I'm looking at him from a recruiting standpoint, going, ‘Oh my God,'" Grant said. Grant couldn't believe his eyes.
Harewood was academically gifted with a 1370 SAT score. He was 6-foot-6 and well over 300 pounds. And the young man was athletic enough to excel on junior national teams in rugby, track and field, and volleyball. He also played a mean game of cricket.
Grant went to work on Harewood, convincing him to enroll at Morehouse after he first attended the University of West Indies. "He saw me at a rugby game and some track meets and was like, ‘Dude, I'm telling you, you need to be overseas playing sports," Harewood said.
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