CANADA WIDE TOUR
Quarterback Kevin Glenn makes all the stops possible on nine-team CFL circuit
He’s been everywhere, man. He’s crossed the prairies bare, man. He’s breathed the mountain air, man. Travel, he’s had his share, man. He’s been everywhere.
He’s been to Saskatchewan. Hamilton. Winnipeg. Toronto.* British Columbia. Calgary. Ottawa.* Montreal. Edmonton. He’s now been everywhere.
Although it comes with those asterisks, it’s an amazing accomplishment, achievement or at least story of survival.
Who else in all of professional sports can say he was with every, single team in the entire league?
When the Edmonton Eskimos announced they’d signed quarterback Kevin Glenn Monday, it meant he’d completed the circuit. No one else in league history has ever done it.
It would have been perfect to have late Canadian county and western music legend Hank Snow around to sing him a personal version of his signature ‘I’ve Been Everywhere’ hit song.
Although he never actually played a regular season game with Toronto* or Ottawa*, Glenn’s rights have been held by all nine CFL clubs during his 17-year career.
“I always joked about signing with the Eskimos for just one day so I could say I was with every team. But it became serious. To get the opportunity to come in and actually suit up and play, makes it a whole lot better,” he said after acting as his own agent to get the deal done.
Glenn began his career with the Roughriders in 2001 where he spent his first three seasons and would have three different tours of duty, finding himself released by the ‘Riders at the end of the 2003 season.
He comes to Edmonton as veteran back-up insurance behind starter Mike Reilly who will be available to fill a short-term role while the team transitions a new backup quarterback to replace James Franklin who departed to the Toronto Argos in free agency. Glenn has never won a Grey Cup but likes his chances with his last chance. “The Eskimos are pretty good,” he said. “If you watched the Eskimos the last couple of years, you see that they have an identity. You see what direction that they’re going. They’re not a team in transition. They’re not letting half their roster go to bring in new guys. Edmonton is just tweaking their roster here and there to put themselves in position to compete for a Grey Cup. I like the chances.” Glenn, 38, is a native of Detroit who played his college football at Illinois State, comes to Edmonton with 268 career games and is sixth all-time in passing yards with 52,867. Over his career he completed 294 touchdown passes with 207 interceptions. Last year in Saskatchewan he completed 318 of 468 for 4,038 yards with 25 touchdowns and 468 attempts. “I like the offence they are running in Edmonton. As a quarterback you want to be comfortable with what they’re doing and I know I’ll be comfortable in this offence. That was one of the deciding factors to me,” he said. Glenn said he was happy with doing his own deal as his own agent. “It worked out well. I think both parties ended up happy.” Glenn said the Eskimos treated him like they were positive he’d come here and be a pro.
“There’s no doubt that Mike Reilly is going to be the No. 1 quarterback. You never know if you’re going to play, when you’re going to play or how much you’re going to play. But you have to be ready to play.
“That’s why I think I’ve been able to play so long. I’ve always been ready to play. I’ll be ready if there’s a time to play,” said the quarterback who was an Argo for one day and a Red-Black for a month during off seasons in his tour of teams.
There’s been the beginning of a debate as to whether Glenn is Hall of Fame worthy. Regardless, a collection of the jerseys he’s worn would be a deserving display in the Hall.
“I’ve got ‘em all,” said Glenn of the jerseys he’s worn.
And who knows, maybe he could add one more to complete his Tour de CFL.
As TSN play-by-play man Chris Cuthbert tweeted Monday: “Not only would Kevin Glenn be a good backup in Edmonton this season, he’d be a great building block for the Atlantic Schooners in 2020. #10for10.” Glenn laughed at that. “I might have to come out of retirement to sign a contract if that happens,” laughed the travelling man.
“And that contract would be like the one I envisioned for Edmonton. That one would probably have to be a one-day deal like I joked about for me with the Eskimos.”
“I always joked about signing with the Eskimos for just one day so I could say I was with every team. But it became serious. To get the opportunity to come in and actually suit up and play, makes it a whole lot better...” New Eskimos QB Kevin Glenn