Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
It hasn’t been easy being green. Or blue, or orange or yellow, or any other colour Kevin Glenn has worn in his 17-year career.
From Saskatchewan to Winnipeg, through Toronto, to Hamilton to Calgary to B.C., through Ottawa, back to Saskatchewan to Montreal back to Winnipeg and now Saskatchewan again, to say Glenn’s career has been strange is an understatement.
The path to 50,000 yards has been long and winding as well as back and forth.
Is it a Hall of Fame career? For Glenn, his head coach and many of his teammates, the answer is simple. In fact, should the question even be raised for one of only seven quarterbacks to hit that milestone in CFL history?
“Why is it that I’m asked?,” ponders Glenn after being asked again if he deserves to be in the Hall.
“We all know why they’re asking is because of the Grey Cup. But the Grey Cup doesn’t tell you whether or not you’re a Hall of Famer. That’s just plain and simple.”
However, Glenn can’t deny it is the one thing missing from his resume, a resume that looks much different than the other six players that hit the 50,000 yard plateau.
His resume reads like a travel guide more than a football bio and it may be another reason the Hall of Fame question is even considered.
“It’s untraditional,” confirms Glenn. “That’s why some people make the assumptions or the opinion that they do because it is untraditional. But the reason it is untraditional is because I’ve played for so many teams but when you put that into the perspective of being able to do and accomplish what I did, it’s harder to do it the way that I did it.”
Multiple offences, multiple receivers, multiple coordinators and head coaches, it’s never come easy for Glenn. The doubters have always been there.
“There have been people who said ‘oh, you can’t do it,’ said Glenn. “In high school I was told I’d never play quarterback in college. And in college I was told I’d never play quarterback in the pros. To be able to overcome that sort of stuff, that’s a story in itself.”
But his career may not have been where it is today if it weren’t for some good advice from players like Damon Allen or Danny McManus early into his CFL years. They were veteran players he confided in to get an understanding of why he wasn’t seeing the field.
“I asked, ‘how are you playing at the age of 38 or 40? You’re a grandfather, Damon. You have a grandson, how are you still playing’?” said Glenn. “[Just] taking that kind of advice from those guys and filing it back and continuing to keep doing it. As you continue doing it, you start getting the success, the production. It’s not a fluke that I’ve been able to go from different teams and still be successful.”
Those were tough days in Saskatchewan early on. He saw the team go with quarterbacks in front of him like Henry Burris and Nealon Greene before he was traded to Toronto and later in the same day traded to Winnipeg.
RELATED:
» Bio: Kevin Glenn by the numbers
» No hero’s welcome for Chamblin in Riderville
» Stamps stifle Riders’ late-game comeback attempt
» More from Jamie Nye
Glenn is 448 yards away from passing Ron Lancaster for sixth all-time in CFL passing yards (The Canadian Press)
The Riders’ prairie rival is where Glenn’s career took off. He found chemistry with Milt Stegall and threw for 27 touchdowns in his first full season as a stater.
Two years later he had his first of two 5,000-yard seasons and led the Bombers to the 2007 Grey Cup, where they lost to the Riders 23-19. A broken arm in the Eastern Final begs the question, what could have been.
Glenn doesn’t enjoy looking back but it’s hard not to believe the Bombers likely would have had a much better fate with Glenn behind centre.
And if it weren’t for the freak injury, maybe the Grey Cup blemish would have been long ago put to rest.
Glenn is looking to accomplish more in his career. The Grey Cup is at the top of the list but his next milestone will be moving past Ron Lancaster on the all time passing list; a man he respects after spending so much time in Saskatchewan over his career.
“I’m very excited about it,” said Glenn. “I mean, you’re passing a great and you’re able to do something that… a guy that is praised like he is around town… if you’re able to do it, especially to be in the city that he actually did it in, is just awesome. This is one of those things that you’re very grateful for, to have this opportunity to be able to do it.”
Right now, the new quarterback’s meeting room in the new Mosaic Stadium has a life sized photo of Ron Lancaster with his stats and accomplishments; as if Glenn needed a reminder of the shadow he’s playing under as a member of the Riders.
“I didn’t know the amount of passing yards he had,” Glenn laughs.
But he does know the important stuff about the man whose number 23 is retired by the team.
“The type of person that he is and was, you hear it so much around town. I was able to play for his son and had a chance to meet him and talk to him. He was a good guy, great guy, family guy, but the community loved him.”
From now on, Glenn will be in that esteemed company.
When his career ends, Glenn will have no regrets. Well, actually, he may have one.
“I always kid about it but I will, when I retire, when that day comes, I will talk to whoever is in charge over in Edmonton and try to sign a one day (contract) just to get released or cut.
I would hate to not ever do it and be like, ‘man, I should have done it. That one team, I should have done it’, to go down and be affiliated with all the nine teams that are actually currently in the CFL right now. It’s a CFL trivia question and it will probably go down as long as the CFL is in existence.”
For now, Glenn will just be worried about getting wins for the Roughriders and enjoy the other accolades after his career is over.
Whether those honours include the Hall of Fame, that will be for others to decide. He’ll let his numbers speak for themselves.
