Grant Hermanns keeps growing and so does his legend in New Mexico

Video: Grant Hermanns's highlights vs. Clovis High School

Grant Hermanns has spent most of his life trying to get bigger and stronger so that he can be an impact football player. He weighed only 8 pounds when he was born. His twin brother, Gregg, was about 6 pounds.

Now a 6-foot-6, 250-pound senior offensive tackle at defending Class 6A state champion Rio Rancho, Hermanns looks back at his younger pictures and says, "I looked like I was anorexic."

He began playing football at around age 10 for Cibola North, recalling, "I was a late bloomer, one of the smaller kids on the team. I didn't have natural aggression. I had to work my way up the ladder. I got six plays (in the entire game). I gave everything and always had a good work ethic. I wanted to quit, but my dad (Phil) wouldn't let me quit."

He finally got his opportunity to shine as an eighth-grader, starting at defensive end for an undefeated team. Then he started on the freshman team at Rio Rancho.

"I had a really good year," he recalled. "Made a lot of tackles. They tried to put me at tight end, but I hated offense. On offense you couldn't shine. You always get yelled at for crazy things. Defensive end was really cool. You get that sack or light someone up."

Though Hermanns was just 5-11 and 145 pounds, he had hopes because his grandfather, Leonard Stephens, was 6-5 and 280 and his great uncle, Louis Stephens, was an offensive guard for the Washington Redskins.

To fully develop his heritage, he worked relentlessly to get bigger.

He noted, "I was so skinny, I ate everything I could get. I drank three glasses of milk every night for two years because (he was told) I would be 2 inches taller. We had to keep buying gallons of milk every day. Me and my brother were eating seven eggs every day, but mom cut us back to five. I wanted any advantage I could get: more sleep at night, hydrating, watching more film. That was my mentality."

As a sophomore he "bulked up" to 170 pounds by eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as if his life depended on it.

Hermanns related, "I had my PBJ's. I carried a whole loaf of sandwiches every day. People laughed at me, but I didn't care as long as I got weight."

That year players were divided into a sophomore and a JV team.

"I didn't want to be on the sophomore team," he recalled. "In a preseason scrimmage, I had three or four sacks and that moved me to the JV team. After playing three or four games, I broke my (left) hand in three places diving for a fumble. I was out for the year. That made me more hungry the whole year. I gained 40 or 50 pounds. I tried to get to 215 to play varsity."

His tireless work ethic finally paid off during his junior year, but there were lots of surprises.

First of all, he was asked to give up his beloved defensive end to play a hated offensive position. The entire offensive line, with the exception of its center, had graduated, and coach Dave Howes was desperate for willing bodies.

"I kept working and got to 215," Hermanns said proudly. "I remember coach telling me there were only 22 spots out there. I skipped a rep (one day in practice). He told me, 'I want you to work your butt off. I don't want you ever to skip a rep again. We think you have a spot.' I never skipped a rep again. He knew I had to grow up and finish. He really helped me to be the player I am."

So, when asked to switch to offensive tackle, he gulped and said, "OK, coach, I'm here for the team. I stepped up and gave everything I had. I was a sponge. I didn't like it a whole lot. One time you are the center of attention (making big tackles) and the other you celebrate for other guys (who score), but you're part of something bigger than yourself. It kind of grew on me. I like the brotherhood. Seeing a running back score, you know you contributed."

With little expectations for the rebuilt offensive line, Hermanns said he began hearing students say, "The team is going to (stink). This year we don't have an offensive line."

The end result, he emphasized, was "We carried a chip on our shoulders. No one was going to work harder than us. We were a scrappy team. (But) no matter how much we blew out team after team, someone doubted us. We just got chewed out every day. We had multiple fights every day. If we didn't get in fights we had a bad day of practice. Then we'd cool down. Off the field we had respect. The negatives turned into fuel for fire. We had something to prove."

That gigantic chip on the shoulders of the Rio Rancho players resulted in an unexpected 13-0 record and Class 6A state title.

Even today as a senior through his first six games, Hermanns admits, "It (the state title) is kind of shocking. There was never a time when I was nervous. I just went out and had a super blast."

The Rio Rancho star carries a superb 4.3 GPA and expects to study either engineering or business at Iowa State University, which he chose over Nevada and Washington State. His further growth and speed (he has run a five-second 40-yard dash) will determine whether he plays offensive tackle or goes back to defensive end. He had nine Division I offers and the University of New Mexico wanted him at defensive end.

Interestingly, Hermanns is much more than a big, talented lineman.

He has been a wrestler since eighth grade, following in his father's footsteps. Last year he placed fifth in the state at 220 pounds. He may not wrestle this year, although he confesses that the lure of a state title may bring him back for a final shot.

The Rams' star also is just as proud of his impending Eagle Scout status. When he completes all requirements this year he will become a fourth-generation Eagle Scout in his family. Alluding to the many dimensions of Hermanns, head coach Dave Howes calls him "the most well-rounded person I've ever had on my team."

Offensive line coach Brandon Darlington says, "His potential - the sky's the limit. He's not only a good football player but a good person. Everything he does hard. He's a leader - an ideal player. I'm lucky. He's still growing now and it's scary to think how big he can be."

CBS recruiting analyst Tom Lemming projects Hermanns to weigh in at 300 pounds when he reaches full maturity.

He just needs 50 pounds, so he just needs to keep putting away those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pouring down lots of milk. After all, they've already taken him a long way from those "anorexic" days of his youth.