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Three Kings: Lacrosse Legends Who Changed the Game

All three lacrosse Hall of Fame inductees have compiled staggering résumés. All three changed the game, propelling it forward. All three were driven by success to continue chasing excellence on the path to mastering the Creator’s game.

“In the last 20 to 25 years, you would be hard-pressed to find another trio of more impactful players on the game at the amateur, professional, and international levels,” says TV announcer Joe Beninati. “These men were the gold standard at their respective positions, and it was an honor to describe their work on the field.”

Three incredibly dominant players who changed the game—it has been an honor and a privilege to call so many of their televised games. Their legacies live on in the way the game is now played.


Paul Rabil

Paul Rabil transferred to DeMatha High School as a sophomore.

“I remember watching DeMatha play at Boys’ Latin, and afterward, I immediately got on the phone and called Hopkins assistant coach Bill Dwan to emphasize how impressed I was. Rabil checked all the boxes.”

At Johns Hopkins, Rabil won two championships (2005 and 2007). In 2007, he earned the McLaughlin Award as the nation’s best midfielder. He played in 62 games as a Blue Jay, finishing with 112 goals and 67 assists.

“Name your favorite quality for a midfielder to possess, and this guy had it,” said Beninati. “He was blessed with amazing athleticism—a combination of speed, power, and toughness that sometimes made him unstoppable. When I close my eyes, I can still see him beating his defender on an alley-dodge or a sweep and ripping a jump shot into the cage. He was impressive, to say the least.”

Rabil’s professional lacrosse career spanned from 2008 to 2022, with 11 years in the MLL and three in the PLL, totaling over 150 games. He also played 77 games in the NLL, scoring 179 points and scooping up 440 loose balls.

Rabil represented Team USA in the World Championships, winning gold twice. Along with his brother Mike and the support of investors, he founded the PLL in 2019 after breaking away from the MLL.

“I think Rabil’s greatest contribution to the game has been his pro-level work ethic and raising the standard. Lacrosse was never viewed as a destination, and he changed that. His dreams for himself and the sport continue to push boundaries.”

“His biggest impact was how transformative he was for the JHU program,” said Brian Carcaterra, former JHU and MLL goalie. “Yes, it was Kyle’s (Harrison) team, but Paul rekindled the aura of Johns Hopkins lacrosse defined by excellence on championship weekend.”


John Grant Jr.

John Grant Jr. studied for two years at SUNY Morrisville before transferring to Delaware in 1998. In 1999, he was awarded College Player of the Year after averaging six points per game.

Grant enjoyed a 17-year NLL career, playing in over 250 games and scoring more than 1,500 points.

“He was intimidating and imposing. He broke the mold,” said Carcaterra. “There had never been an attackman with that size coupled with that skill. His brute toughness and durability, hardened in the indoor game, made him the absolute perfect storm. The dude was bigger, stronger, tougher, and more skilled than everyone—that’s crazy. To my recollection, he never once opened his mouth.”

Outdoors, “Junior” played 136 games in the MLL over 13 seasons, finishing with 541 points. He once scored 10 goals in a single game and lifted the Steinfeld Cup five times.

“A legendary playmaker and goal-scorer whose lacrosse stick could double as a magic wand,” said Beninati. “His disguise and deception at the attack end of the field made defenders lose sleep. One day, he would bulldoze his way to a record-breaking performance; the next, his stickhandling brilliance would twist you in knots.”

North of the border, Grant Jr. played 95 games in Junior A box lacrosse and 166 games in Senior A. He was a four-time member of Team Canada for the field World Championships.

Grant’s creative play and unpredictability inspired the next wave of goal scorers to think outside the box. He continues to coach the next generation, passing along his expertise and unique style.


Brodie Merrill

Brodie Merrill graduated from Georgetown in 2005. During his final two years, he was a First-Team All-American and won the Schmeisser Award as the nation’s top defensive player. He was a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist.

“There have been better takeaway players or on-ball defenders, but there has never been a defensive player more disruptive to an offensive scheme than Brodie,” said Carcaterra. “There’s not a better off-ball player or off-the-ground player ever. Brodie in the middle of the field was truly Ray Lewis.”

Merrill played 298 NLL games, scooping up nearly 3,000 loose balls. He competed in 165 MLL games and 33 PLL contests. He never seemed to tire.

He led Team Canada during the World Championships four times. Merrill has won every major defensive award at every level, and the current PLL LSM of the Year Award bears his name.

“I wish I had watched more of his indoor games, where people tell me he was exceptional,” said Beninati. “I can vouch for how good he was outdoors. Nobody I covered in the last 25 years knew how to track down a ground ball and scoop it better. He had this sixth sense to gauge where a loose ball was headed, and once it was his, he could be a devastating player transitioning from defense to offense.”

Merrill and his family helped establish the Hill Academy, which has developed hundreds of college and pro lacrosse players since 2006.

“Off the field, Brodie created a breeding ground (Hill) of hybrid players (Canada/USA) which ushered in an entirely new generation of players, more skilled than anything we had seen prior in the field game,” explained Carcaterra.

He was the ultimate defensive hunter.