MCLA D-I PPOY: Brigham Young's Eliot Grow
by Jac Coyne | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff | Coyne Archive
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| Putting off his Mormon mission until after graduation
has payed big dividends for Eliot Grow, including earning
Lacrosse Magazine's Preaseason Player of the Year honor
for MCLA Division I. © Jack Dempsey |
Elliot Grow has taken an unusual path to this LM's Preseason
Player of the Year award.
On the field for Brigham Young, he's one of the rare individuals to
start his career as a defensive middie and work his way into a
premier two-way player - Grow led the Cougars in assists (39) and
points (80) while also staying on the field for defense, faceoffs,
EMO and man-down.
Grow was a standout offensive player in high school, so being
tabbed a shorty was not initially part of his plan, but it ended up
being the catalyst for his future success.
"It was a shock at first, but I knew this was the way to get on the
field, so I accepted my role," said Grow. "Honestly, playing d-mid
helped me evolve into a better player. I had the understanding of
the defense and then when I went back to offense, I was comfortable
enough to play it."
Off the field, Grow is one of the few Mormon players who has not
gone on a mission during his college years (he plans on doing it
sometime after graduation), which, considering the atrophy many BYU
players suffer on their two-year hiatus, may have contributed to
this preseason honor.
"Having the advantage of playing four straight years has allowed
his lacrosse skills to improve year after year," said Matt Schneck,
BYU's first-year head coach. "We usually have that revolving cycle
of kids coming in and out of the program."
The four-year familiarity has made Schneck and the rest of the
staff so comfortable with Grow that they let him determine when he
wants to play. In certain defensive and faceoff situations, Grow
will signal a replacement as to whether he's fresh enough to
continue or needs a break.
"We allow Elliot to do some self-monitoring," said Schneck. "After
four years, we trust him and we know he can evaluate himself."
Grow is definitely following the road less traveled, but if
everything goes as planned, he hopes to follow a more familiar BYU
route - winning an MCLA title.
