Kornacki: Graham Glasgow Making Quick Transition to NFL
10/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 14, 2016
By Steve Kornacki
ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Graham Glasgow has made a quick and positive impression on the Detroit Lions. So much so that Glasgow, a rookie offensive lineman from the University of Michigan, received the majority of snaps at left guard in the team's last game.
Former Detroit and Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman, now a pro and college football television analyst, could end up being a prophet. Spielman had this to say about Glasgow during an April interview with Mike O'Hara on DetroitLions.com:
"I think he's going to be the steal of the third round. He's going to be a starter for a lot of years for the Detroit Lions."
When those words were recalled for Glasgow, he smiled and said, "I actually didn't know he said that. But that's awesome. I'm glad to hear it. You know, it's nice that somebody with that playing experience can say that about myself."
Spielman added that Glasgow's "nasty and athletic" at 6-foot-6 and 308 pounds.
Lions general manager Bob Quinn drafted Glasgow primarily as a center, where he excelled for Michigan in 2015. However, Detroit center Travis Swanson has shown improvement this season, and Glasgow also played both guard spots in college. That versatility led to his first opportunity to play on offense with left guard Laken Tomlinson faltering.
A pack of reporters swarmed Glasgow in front of his locker after Thursday's (Oct. 13) practice, asking him about the challenge of playing Sunday (Oct. 16) at Ford Field across the line from Los Angeles Rams Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
"It really just comes down to focusing on yourself," said Glasgow. "You focus on your technique and getting your footwork and hand placement where they need to be and letting the chips fall where they may.
"I mean, he's a quick guy. He plays with good leverage and is explosive. He's good with his hands, and he's strong. That's not something that you don't see every day, but as I said, you have to focus more on yourself than the guy you're playing against. It'll be a good test."
Donald, who won the Bednarik, Lombardi, Nagurski and Outland at Pitt, sacked Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford three times in a Rams victory last season. So, he's priority one for the Lions' offensive line as they attempt to even their won-loss record in the sixth game.
Though, Glasgow, who also plays on two special teams units, doesn't know how much he'll play offense. Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said Tomlinson, a first-rounder in 2015, remains the starter. Still, Glasgow played well enough to merit strong consideration for playing time.
"Played like a young guy," Caldwell said of Glasgow's performance off the bench in Sunday's (Oct. 9) 24-23 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. "But he's tough. He played well. I think it's what you'd expect against the likes of Fletcher Cox and some of those guys up front he got to play against. He did alright."
Cox also made the 2015 Pro Bowl, and so Glasgow is going up against the best in his first games.
"It was fun to go out there and play offense," Glasgow said. "I thought I played pretty well for my first action on offense, and there are definitely some things to clean up. But overall, I thought I was pretty decent. I was pleased. It was good to go out there and get those game reps."
Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter was asked how he's seen Glasgow progress.
"He's getting better and better," said Cooter. "He's developing. He's a young player who's getting to know this NFL game, getting to know this week-in, week-out, day-in, day-out grind of the NFL season.
"But he's getting better. He's doing a good job of doing what we ask him to do. He's not perfect in the game. I thought he battled and competed. I thought he did a relatively good job."
Making the jump to the NFL can make any player's head spin -- even that of Glasgow, who is as sharp in the film room as he was in the classroom, where he was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten team selection.
"It's different from college in the sense that you are here all day watching film, lifting, you eat here, you practice here, you have walkthroughs (before games) here," said Glasgow of 10-hour or longer days at the team's training facility. "It's getting used to the professional lifestyle. I'm used to it now, but it was a little different when I first got here."
What's the biggest difference been?
"Probably the speed of the game on third downs," said Glasgow. "Those guys are really hauling then."
Glasgow credited the instruction of Wolverine offensive line coach Tim Drevno, who coached previously for the San Francisco 49ers, with being the perfect bridge to get him to Lions offensive line coach Ron Prince.
"Coach Drevno really had a lot of different techniques for a lot of different things," said Glasgow. "He exposed me to some stuff that we do here. That was very helpful. What he teaches can get done at the highest level, and so it helps the offensive line a lot at Michigan now, and I see it here. Some of what he taught us there, we do here, and so it was nice to get that coaching before I got here.
"(Prince) is like the ultimate coach of technique. Coach Drevno got me started, but Coach Prince has taken it to where everything you do is under the microscope. It's unbelievable the kind of coach he is."
Glasgow then credited teammates Swanson and right guard Larry Warford, adding that Tomlinson also has been a factor in his development.
"They've helped talk me through things," said Glasgow, "and the assignment stuff but more the technique."
Glasgow roomed during training camp with Michigan teammate and sixth-round pick Jake Rudock, a rookie quarterback on the practice squad who also has impressed the coaching staff.
"It's nice to have Jake around," said Glasgow, "but believe it or not, I don't see him a ton. But we'll talk, and we'll talk Michigan football."
He's impressed with the No. 4 Wolverines and their 6-0 start.
"The D-line's playing great, and the O-line's playing pretty well," said Glasgow, whose brother, Ryan, is a standout defensive tackle. "Mags (Erik Magnuson) and Kyle (Kalis) and Mason (Cole) are playing real well. They're doing some rotating on the left side, and Grant (Newsome) got hurt. I think Juwann (Bushell-Beatty) will be fine (at left tackle), and so we'll see how it works out."
Lions starting left tackle Taylor Decker played at Ohio State last year, and Glasgow said "bragging rights" will be on the line when the Wolverines travel to Columbus for a Nov. 26 showdown.
"I'm hoping to go to the game, and I think he's hoping to go to the game," said Glasgow. "We'll see where it goes from there, but we're both going to have fun with it."
Glasgow became the first Wolverine walk-on since quarterback Brian Griese in 1998 to go in the NFL Draft.
"It was like a series of goals," said Glasgow, from Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois. "My first goal was to get playing time, and then it was to get the scholarship, and then it was to be a good player, and then to get drafted.
"So, I didn't look at it like the statistics were against me. I think it's awesome, and the streak won't be much longer after last year. Ryan will be fine and get drafted."
The Glasgows earned scholarships after walking on, and their younger brother, Jordan, a special teams player and defensive back, could keep that family tradition alive.
Graham has taken the football quest to the highest level. Having to prove he's worth a roster spot or starting role is nothing new, and the results of success never get old.
