For Calgary Stampeders veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn, the wait to play in a Grey Cup has been a long and winding road of heartbreak. But the 12-year veteran will finally get his title shot against the Toronto Argonauts in the 100th Grey Cup on Sunday.
Kevin Glenn has suffered plenty of heartbreak in his 12-year CFL career, but the Calgary Stampeders resilient quarterback has never thought about packing it in.
In fact, the 33-year-old native of Detroit hopes to continue tossing touchdowns and winning football games for another 12 seasons.
"They are literally going to have to roll me out and say 'Kevin, we don't want you here any more,' Glenn continued.
"I enjoy this. I love playing this sport. I have a passion for playing this sport. I've been doing this all my life since I was a young boy. People kid around, but we're grown men playing a kids' game. I think that's where the love and the passion for the game comes in because at one point we played for nothing. We played because we just loved to do it.
"I still feel that way. I want to play as long as Damon Allen. I watch guys like [39-year-old] Kerry Joseph and [40-year-old] Anthony Calvillo - I'm not calling them old, but they're older than me - but I see those guys and I still want to play. I say 'I want to do that.' Those guys are my inspiration."
Well travelled
Out of Illinois State University, Glenn signed with he Saskatchewan Roughriders, but was traded to the Argonauts after only three seasons. He never played a down in Toronto before he was moved to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Winnipeg cut him loose following five seasons so he wound up signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Then he was traded to Calgary.
Even earlier this month, after recording his highest completion percentage at 66.7 per cent (his career average is 61.7 per cent) the Stampeders weren't that enthusiastic about their veteran quarterback. Glenn was benched in favour of 28-year-old backup Drew Tate.
This storyline was familiar to the veteran pivot. The last time Glenn spearheaded a team into the Grey Cup was five years ago with Winnipeg. But it was Glenn who broke his left arm late in the West final. All he could do was watch from the sidelines as his Blue Bombers were defeated in the championship game by the Riders.
"Words can't explain it," said Glenn, when asked about the difference in his demeanour this time around, knowing he'll finally get to play in a Grey Cup. "I'm excited and I'm very enthused. It's just overwhelming.
"I just want to enjoy this whole week from top to bottom, from this media luncheon to the actual game, from the actual quarterback meetings we'll have to the practices. I want to enjoy everything that I missed out on last time. You don't often get these chances and I want to take advantage of this chance.
"When you get down to it, it's about winning that Grey Cup. Some people say it's about the money. But when you get here you have so many family members coming, you have to play for all these tickets and hotel rooms you have to win just to break even. It's not the money it's the passion we have to play this game and to leave knowing you've won the ultimate goal, the Grey Cup.
How low did Glenn feel about missing the 2007 Grey Cup?
"I wasn't low in that I wanted to jump off a ledge," he said. "It was more so you have questions like why it happened to you. It's a whole different mindset when you know you're not going to be able to play in the game."
Finally, Glenn will be playing in this game and you can bet it will be far from his last.
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