Cody Glenn

[np_husker]

Glenn on senior season: 'I've got a lot to prove'

BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star

Friday, Jul 18, 2008 - 12:47:11 am CDT

 

The end sneaks up on you. Cody Glenn will be the first to say it. Wasn’t it just yesterday he was living in the dorms? It sure feels like it.

 

But when the Husker linebacker recently settled into a classroom for his “senior seminar,” the realization smacked him as hard as he hopes to drop running backs this fall: This is it, man. No mulligans. One year to leave your mark.

 

“People ask me, ‘How do you feel about the season?’” says the native of Rusk Texas. “Oh, I’m amped about it. I’ve never felt this good going into a season health-wise, confidence-wise, everything.”

 

For the first time, Glenn is about to enter a Husker fall as a linebacker. The guy’s happy, as happy about football as he’s been since coming to Nebraska.

 

Glenn drew plenty of attention this past spring with his switch from running back to linebacker, seemingly a major roll of the dice so late in his career.

 

But talk to defensive coordinator Carl Pelini and linebackers coach Mike Ekeler about Glenn and they’ll tell you he has the kind of natural instincts that can make him a difference-maker wherever you put him on the field.

 

Asked how long it took to know the switch would work, Ekeler says: “About one play. Truly. I remember Bo (Pelini) looked over at me and just smiled, and we knew that Cody’s days of running back were over. Maybe he didn’t quite know it yet, but we did.”

 

It didn’t take too many spring practices for Glenn to become the No. 1 WILL linebacker, a spot coaches say he’ll take into fall camp. Latravis Washington will be pushing him.

 

The success of Glenn has hardly surprised Carl Pelini. Glenn was already impressing the staff early in spring at running back before making his position move.

 

Carl Pelini says: “Let me put it this way. We knew Cody was going to help our football team no matter where he ended up. He’s that kind of a player. He understands the game. ... What we just had to decide was where he could help us the most.”

 

Glenn’s aware that plenty of people see the Husker linebackers as a giant question mark going into this season. Aside from junior Phillip Dillard, who started just two games last season, experience is seriously lacking at the position. And some have wondered aloud: Is Glenn’s quick ascent at linebacker so much a testament to him being really good or instead a case of him just moving into a position that is possibly lacking players?

 

Hey, the questions are fair, says Glenn. “People want to see what I can do. I’ve got a lot to prove. They’re probably not expecting much out of the linebackers and rightfully so. We haven’t shown anybody anything. I’m really excited to kind of get out there and show everyone what I can do, what we’ve been working toward. We know we can be good.”

 

Glenn also knows the running backs will be good this year, which is one reason he didn’t have any problem switching positions.

 

Certainly with senior Marlon Lucky back, and young talents Roy Helu Jr. and Quentin Castille lurking behind, there is plenty of talent in the backfield.

 

Given that, Glenn saw the move as a positive for both he and the team.

 

“The biggest thing about me is I just want to win,” he says. “That’s the bottom line. Whatever it takes. If I have to kick the ball, whatever I’ve got to do.”

 

Glenn’s happiness now is quite distant from the frustration he felt last year about how he was handled by the coaching staff. While he was bothered by a foot injury at times, he says he didn’t feel he got a fair shake, carrying the ball just 27 times. Lucky toted it 206. Castille (75) and Helu (45) also had more carries.

 

“I can tell you this,” Glenn says. “If Coach (Bo) Pelini hadn’t been here and we kept the same staff, I wouldn’t have been here. It’s just the way I felt. I don’t feel I was treated fairly. I wasn’t given the same opportunity as maybe some others. It’s hard. You just kind of question your ability: ‘Can I do this?’ or ‘Am I not good enough?’ So I kind of saw with Coach Pelini getting here as kind of a blessing."

 

Glenn’s new outlook has made even the intense summer workouts seem not so bad. He’s not one of those rah-rah guys, but Glenn wants his actions to be a positive influence on younger players — trying to be the first guy to the line when running, trying to find his maximum effort when lifting.

 

“I know this is my last go-round. I have to carry this team any way I can,” Glenn says. “I want to go back 10, 15 years from now and say that I was a leader on that team and I contributed to what we did that year.”

 

Ekeler says Glenn has also been diligent in the film room, fully aware he’s still got a lot to learn and always wanting answers to the whys and hows.

 

“We’ve been telling Cody our goal for him now is for people to say, ‘You’re kidding me, that guy was a running back?’” Ekeler says.

 

The potential is there, but potential is a tag that has found many athletes. And many of those had much more time to show what they can do than Glenn will have at linebacker.

 

As high as the hopes are for Glenn, Ekeler realizes it’s only when the heat of game day arrives that you know what you really have.

 

But right now, the coach says Glenn is making all the proper steps ... a consistent visitor to his office.

 

“You talk about a guy who is unbelievably unselfish and puts his team first. I can’t say enough about his character and his leadership and his love for the game,” Ekeler says. “The guy, all he wants to do is go out there and play. I can’t wait to see what he does here. I’m as excited as anybody. He’s an unbelievable talent.”

 

Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.

[Back In Black]

when i first heard that cody was going to be a LB i was like

 

after reading this i understood why

[tattooedhusker]

Great read! This article says a lot about the previous staff, the new staff, Cody's character. Good luck to him, he sounds like he'll be a helluva LB

[Husker_x]

Not that I really want to start or fuel a discussion about the previous staff, but it seems that this sort of thing happened more than it should. There seemed to be a lot of dissatisfaction that stemmed from more than just losing games. I think Pelini says what he means and means what he says. Hopefully that's the law of the land from here on.

[huKSer]

“I can tell you this,” Glenn says. “If Coach (Bo) Pelini hadn’t been here and we kept the same staff, I wouldn’t have been here. It’s just the way I felt. I don’t feel I was treated fairly. I wasn’t given the same opportunity as maybe some others. It’s hard. You just kind of question your ability: ‘Can I do this?’ or ‘Am I not good enough?’ So I kind of saw with Coach Pelini getting here as kind of a blessing."

 

AMEN

[huskernumerouno]

I hope the best for him at linebacker, I am sure he came here with high expectations and like he said he has one year to leave his mark.

[melscott62]

i really dont get why people are so down on this move.... how is this any different fro a JC kid coming in and playing? it happens all of the time, at school all over the country. he's certainly a good enough athlete. i dont think its unrealistic for him to be an average LB by the time the big 12 schedule rolls around

[NU fan in Denver]

I think it is a great move. Wish it would have happened a year or two ago, but we are thin at LB and at least he has some senior experience. I think the statement he made about the previous staff shows a lot about the character of that staff. I bet he isn't the only player, present or past, that feels that way.

[np_husker]

I think this is a great move. Not only will it benefit the team, but I think it will benefit Glenn as well.

[admo]

Great read! This article says a lot about the previous staff, the new staff, Cody's character. Good luck to him, he sounds like he'll be a helluva LB

Absolutely.. I agree 110%

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I hope he has a fantastic season and gets a chance at making it in the NFL. I'm looking for him to surprise some people and light some running backs and QB's up! Just stay injury free Cody as that's been your bug over the last few seasons.

[Hunter94]

we knew this team had problems.......spelled c-a-l-l-a-h-a-n

[zoogs]

People are down on this move because it means bad things about our linebacker corps. What does it say if a three-year, injury plagued running back makes the switch and quickly ends up as a #1 linebacker?

 

More than anything, that screams, "the linebackers we had were pretty bad."

 

Which means trouble for us this season, unless Cody proves everyone wrong, which is what he's saying he's got to do - he has a lot to prove.

[Ohio Pete]

People are down on this move because it means bad things about our linebacker corps. What does it say if a three-year, injury plagued running back makes the switch and quickly ends up as a #1 linebacker?

 

More than anything, that screams, "the linebackers we had were pretty bad."

 

Which means trouble for us this season, unless Cody proves everyone wrong, which is what he's saying he's got to do - he has a lot to prove.

I do like what it says about the RB situation though.

[Husker_x]

I think one thing we should also realize is that Cody isn't transferring into an old system with a lot of veterans who know what they're doing. He's at square one with everyone else. And since it's a given that Pelini is going to have to re-teach all the fundamentals, Cody has a legitimate shot of seeing all sorts of playing time. The only real difference between him and the rest of the group is that he's a senior. The rest don't have that big a jump on him.