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Pos: QB
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 190
College: Illinois State
Years Rider: R
Years Pro: R

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan

Scouting Report:  Holds most of Illinois State's passing records.  Led the "Redbirds" to their first playoff appearance and 1999 Gateway Football Conference title.  Four-year starter.  An intelligent, noted scrambler who has the knack for making the big play with his strong throwing arm.   Throws for a good completion percentage.  Has a good attitude on and off the playing field and is a very capable leader.  Blew out knee in 1999, but made a comeback in 2000.  Look for Glenn to battle QB Keith Smith for the backup position to QB Marvin Graves.  Could be the next Tracy Ham.

On the Run: QB Kevin Glenn eludes the pass rush.

Ex-DePorres star Glenn faces big test at Illinois State

August 31, 2000

BY SCOTT TALLEY
DETROIT FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Illinois State coach Denver Johnson says Kevin Glenn passes better on the run than any other quarterback he has been around.

Redbirds fans should be glad that Glenn can scramble at all.

Glenn -- a former three-sport star at Detroit DePorres -- suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the sixth game last season.

The injury against Indiana State ended his junior season, when he became Illinois State's all-time leader in passing yards (6,283) and total yards (6,670).

"It was tough at first, I just couldn't believe it," said Glenn, who became a starter as a freshman. "I kept saying, 'Why me?' But as the season went on I just realized that everything happens for a reason."

Glenn eased his frustration by turning to another skill.

"I became a player-coach," Glenn said. "I was a coach on the sideline, a coach in the locker room. And when we played Youngstown State, I sat in the press box and helped the offensive coordinator call plays."

Glenn will be back on the field tonight when the Redbirds open the season against West Virginia Tech. There should be little concern about rust, because Glenn had to reclaim his job during a preseason competition with Dusty Burk, who took Illinois State to the NCAA I-AA playoffs after Glenn went down.

"I look at it as another test," said Glenn, who led DePorres to two state titles in football and one in basketball and was one of the state's top baseball players. "Will Kevin Glenn get back to the old Kevin Glenn?"

The old Kevin Glenn was one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country. In 29 games for Illinois State, he has set 14 school records and four Gateway Conference marks.

His highlight reel includes 457 yards passing against Northern Iowa, 41 completions vs. Western Illinois and a 98-yard touchdown pass against Indiana State.

"What Kevin has done has been a surprise, because on the college level you're dealing with bigger guys and faster guys," said Glenn's father, Kevin Sr., who attends most of Illinois State's games with his wife, Michelle.

"But what he did in high school was more difficult. He played three sports for four years and was in the National Honor Society. Kevin strives for what he wants and reaches out and gets it."

When Glenn left DePorres, his goal was to remain a quarterback, though he was considered undersized. So he turned down the chance to play defensive back or wide receiver at a major college for a shot at running the Redbirds' offense.

"He's a highly intelligent guy and has great intangibles in terms of command of the huddle and leadership," said Johnson, in his first season at Illinois State. "I think the big schools missed out on Kevin."

Glenn -- on schedule to earn an industrial technology degree next year -- hopes NFL scouts don't overlook him, though he's listed at 5-feet-10, 190 pounds.

"I know teams will say things about playing another position, and if I get an offer to play wide receiver or defensive back, I would have to weigh my options," Glenn said. "But quarterback just seems to be the position best suited for me. I've been playing it for so long, why would I change?"