Love making his mark as special teams dynamo
Roughriders’ tackling titan credits his success to hard work of teammates
Glenn Love spreads the love around when it comes to special teams.
Heading into Week 5 of the CFL season, Love led the Saskatchewan Roughriders and was tied for the league lead with seven specialteams tackles.
“If I’m leading the league, it’s because everyone else is doing their very best, too,” Love said in advance of Saturday’s game against the host Calgary Stampeders. “It’s not just up to me that I lead the league. If I make a tackle, it means that someone else did their job, too.”
The Riders signed Love as a free agent taking his performance as a special-teams player into consideration. His career started in 2012 with the B.C. Lions before he spent four seasons with the Stampeders, primarily on special teams.
In 47 career games, Love has 63 special-teams tackles and 53 defensive tackles. He also has two sacks and an interception.
Love plays on all four special teams units. However, he has recorded most of his tackles while playing gunner on punt coverage. A gunner lines up wide on the punt team and races down the field before the ball is punted. Love’s goal is to limit returners to minimal gains while respecting the noyards rule.
“What makes him a great special-teams player is his consistency, whether it’s tackling or hustling or making big hits,” said Riders slotback Bakari Grant, who was Love’s teammate with the 2016 Stampeders.
“When I first signed here and I found out that Glenn had signed, too, I said that people are going to find out what he can do on special teams.”
Love showed what he could accomplish on special teams in 2016. Despite playing in only 10 games, he was tied for third in the league with 21 special teams tackles.
“It’s about effort and wanting to be out there,” Love said. “If you put the effort in, you’re going to make the other players better, as well.”
Love’s position is linebacker and he has performed when given the rare opportunity to fill that role. In 2015, he recorded 23 defensive tackles in six games while Juwan Simpson was on the injured list.
Last year, Love replaced an injured Deron Mayo for the final two regular-season games and the playoffs. In the West Division final, Love had five defensive tackles and two special-teams tackles in Calgary’s 42-15 win over the B.C. Lions.
He followed up that game with 10 defensive tackles and three specialteams tackles in Calgary’s 39-33 overtime loss to the Ottawa Redblacks in the 2016 Grey Cup game.
Those performances suggest Love could contribute regularly as a starter.
“It’s up to the coaching staff to decide that,” Love said. “If I don’t play, then I don’t play. If I do play, then I do. I’ve been on the field doing what I’ve been doing for the last four years. There isn’t any downside to that.”
The 27-year-old Love is preparing to play against his former teammates for the first time since signing with the Riders.
“You’re playing against your past brothers,” Love said. “There will be a little competition because I want to win. I have a new family now and I have to represent for them.” NOTES: The Riders placed DE Ivan Brown, LB Cameron Judge, DT Ese Mrabure and OL Ryan White on the six-game injured list Friday. Maka Henry has been activated from the practice roster as Mrabure’s replacement ... Running back Kienan LaFrance is on the active roster for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury early in training camp. LaFrance is third on the depth chart behind Cameron Marshall and Greg Morris.