Special to BCLionsDen.ca by Jann Shreve

Kevin Glenn’s performance in week six to pull off the win against Calgary was a good summary and example for anybody who could think to ask, “How is Kevin Glenn still around?” He’s still around because he’s being doing things like that, for a long time in quarterback-years and in football-years in general.

Finding a worthwhile CFL quarterback is a daunting task at best for head offices as the balance between potential and experience is watched under a microscope.  Some teams can just find the right new Import International (because that’s a better word) QB and develop him into everything they need or keep bringing good new guys in and go through the ringers until they do. Other teams opt to fish from the pond of quarterbacks with CFL game experience, a pond that is notoriously shallow. The logic is sound for both approaches, which is why both approaches have worked.

Those looking for the experienced QB would be remiss not to consider Kevin Glenn a good fish in the pond. He’s a good player who has won big games (and lost others). Say what you will, he’s been at this a long time. Even without winning on the big stage, he’s outlasted a lot of players, some of them Grey Cup winners, in terms of time spent in the CFL. Glenn has been on five teams, traded twice, come back from a broken arm and a partial ACL tear (no easy task). He’s constantly going from starting to playing backup, missing playoffs, playoff wins and losses, and Kevin Glenn in his 14th season, keeps trucking along. He endures it all and manages, above all, to stay employed where others don’t. The formula seems like it would be a simple one but it proves difficult enough to replicate. He’s one of the few players who can manage to stay off the radar by attracting negative attention or publicity. Imagine that! Advice to would-be CFL players:  Show up to camp on time, in shape, cause little to no trouble to coaches, bring on no negative publicity and produce. Maybe your career won’t be full of glory and records, but evidence shows, it can be a long one.

While the analysts aren’t likely to call Kevin Glenn exceptional or describe him as such, he’s definitely been clutch (see 2012 Calgary playoff run) but has fallen short of the big prize. He’s had nine seasons with 3000+ passing yards, five seasons with 20+ touchdowns, those are pretty good reminders why coaches continue to choose him to manage their offenses either while the young gun or incumbent starter deals with an injury, or as the chosen starter. He’s reliable enough to assume that he won’t lose every game. The exceptional thing about Glenn is his ability to survive and adapt.

Glenn is that guy who just won’t give up or go away, but what keeps any CFL quarterback out of the elite quarterback conversation: he’s yet to win the big one.  Travis Lulay will be back to start any week now, and Glenn will be back in the backup role again, not kicking up a fuss, ready to go when he’s called on.  Will this be the year this nice guy finishes in first? If not, he doesn’t seem to show many signs of stopping anytime soon.