Man of steel

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This article was published 08/06/2016 (3403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

His teammates now call him the Godfather, some still mistake him for fellow former teammate Khari Jones and while Kevin Glenn will turn 37 next week, the former Winnipeg Blue Bombers pivot is getting ready to lead an offensive charge as the starter with the Montreal Alouettes.

The Free Press sat down with Glenn on the eve of the first pre-season game for both clubs. Much has changed for the Illinois State alum since his tenure in Winnipeg. During the chat, Glenn’s phone rang — a FaceTime request from his youngest child, four-year-old daughter Dylan, tears in her eyes and wanting to talk to “daddy.”

Leaving home for games isn’t getting easier for Glenn, but as he told the Free Press, he’s not ready to hang ’em up just yet. He’d retire as one of the all-time greats, currently seventh in all-time passing yards and 10th in all-time passing touchdowns. He’s played for six CFL clubs, but he’s never held the Grey Cup, and the odds are getting longer with each “passing” year.

Free Press: You’ve got another chapter to write now in your long career. How are you expecting it to read?

Kevin Glenn: It will read good things. Every year, guys have a clean slate from the year before and everybody has that opportunity to go out and be successful, and the ultimate prize is to win that Grey Cup. That’s my intention — to do everything I possibly can to put my team in the position to be able to compete for that Cup when November comes. At this point in my career, you’re doing it with a sense of enjoyment — you want to enjoy every second, every minute. This plays more important later in your career, fighting for something you haven’t obtained yet.

FP: This will be your 16th season in the Canadian Football League. What do you attribute your longevity in the game to?

KG: I think the one thing in the off-season is chasing my children around, that keeps you in shape (he laughs). No, I think when you as a person decides to not believe in yourself, not believe in your ability, I think that sends you in the opposite direction you want to go. I also believe in positive expectancy. If I believe and expect I’m going to do good things — positive things — they’re going to happen eventually. Staying in shape in the off-season, I don’t know. There’s no special drink I use or special formula. Eating healthy, eating right.

FP: You played five seasons in Winnipeg as a member of the Blue Bombers and got your start as a No. 1 pivot here. What do you remember about the city and this team?

KG: It was the beginning. I got my chance to start my career as a starter. I loved it. Back in those days, I was young, but old. I was an experienced young guy. I wasn’t a starter on any team before that, but that was my fourth year in the league. I had played in some games and it was one of those things like when you’re living with your parents and you know it’s that time to get out and get your own place. I wasn’t going out to buy a home, I was going out to rent. It worked out pretty good.

FP: You’re a grizzled vet now. Do you still find pre-season to be meaningful 16 years into your career?

KG: It’s not a slog because there are games. A pre-season game is still a game and everyone takes it for what it’s worth. We know there’s evaluation that’s involved, not only from the coaches, but also from us as a team. We want to go out and see what works well inside of the offence. It’s not going to be a game-plan offence, but it will be stuff we run. When you get to the age that I am, in the stage of my career that I am, you understand it’s still a necessity.

FP: You’re working with an all-new playbook this year, built from scratch, including new verbiage. Is that a difficult thing to do, or do you look at it as a breath of fresh air?

KG: It’s a little bit of both, but more of a breath of fresh air. I think a lot of teams run the same routes. There’s a lot of teams who run similar routes but the verbiage is different and the combination of the routes is different. The concepts change, how they work against a particular defence. I feel so comfortable with (offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach Anthony Calvillo) because he’s played before. The types of reads he sees, he’s seen a lot of those before. He’s played in the type of offence he’s creating.

FP: You’ve had some wild games against Anthony Calvillo, including the East Division semifinal in 2011. Is it weird? Do you guys butt heads? Or is there mutual respect?

KG: There’s a mutual respect. I’ve always had that for an ex-teammate or a guy I’ve played against who I went on to play for, and it’s happened probably three times as far as quarterback coaching with Dave Dickenson, Khari Jones and now Anthony Calvillo. There’s a hierarchy and I understand that. Whether it’s football or corporate America, a Fortune 500 company, most will have a boss. You have to carry yourself as if they’re your boss. But the biggest thing is having your boss having respect for you. It makes for a dynamic relationship and (Anthony and I) have that. We value each other’s opinions.

FP: Speaking of quarterbacks, have you ever been on a roster in training camp that has eight quarterbacks on it? Does it allow you to get enough meaningful reps in?

KG: This is the first time I’ve seen this in a camp I’ve been in. I’m getting more reps. In training camp, you’re doing so many things. You spread the wealth pretty good. You might have QBs throwing individual routes to receivers while other QBs are throwing routes to running backs. For some of the other guys, the younger guys, they’re probably getting fewer reps, but that’s normal. I’ll say that it sure makes for some interesting meetings because you have so many guys and so many minds.

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FP: Last year was the first time you were dealt mid-season and had tough year when it comes to the win column. Was it the toughest of your career?

KG: I wouldn’t say toughest, but I’d say it was the most interesting. I’ve never been traded mid-season. I was on a bye week when it happened. I ended up playing against the same team two weeks in a row but I played for two different teams. It was the weirdest and most unusual two weeks of my life as far as my football career. It was the weirdest year of my football career.

FP: It’s your 16th season and you’ll be 37 next week. Are you thinking about the end yet, or do you feel there’s more left in the tank?

KG: I still feel I can play, but it’s not always up to the individual. I always kid with the guys; they’ll ask me when I’m going to retire and I say when a team doesn’t want me anymore. It’s a running joke. I feel like I’ve got a couple more years left. Coaching is a possibility in the professional ranks, in college, in high school. I’ve got connections as far as (hometown and off-season home) Detroit is concerned in maybe being an athletic director. There’s a bunch of stuff I’m considering to do, but I’m waiting until that time comes. It’s not now unless something happens out of my control.

FP: Any regrets, or is there something that still eludes you in this game? A Grey Cup?

KG: It is the one thing that eludes me, but I wouldn’t ever let that define me as a person. Once you start letting objects — that’s like someone buying an expensive car or something and they let it define them — I wouldn’t do that. I would never say I didn’t amount to something or I wasn’t a good quarterback because of one thing. Media, fans and sometimes players put things on a pedestal higher than they need to. I’m not saying the Grey Cup is nothing — it’s the ultimate prize — but if it doesn’t happen, I would never ever look at myself and downplay my career because of one thing. I’ve accomplished a lot in this league. I’m after a Grey Cup, though.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @scottbilleck

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

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