BOURBONNAIS – History’s leaders find their own unique ways to get those around them to perform at their best.
Some do so with encouraging words, others with more harsh criticism. Some design unique strategies to gain an edge on an opponent while others use good old-fashioned hard work to get the job done.
Over the past few months and the last couple of days in Training Camp, Mike Glennon has established his own way of leading the Bears’ offense into the 2017 season. As he along with General Manager Ryan Pace have stated on multiple occasions, this offense is the six-foot-seven signal caller’s to lead for the entire year, even with a first round draft pick waiting in the wings.
Already there is one way that Glennon has shown leadership that’s left an impression on one of his key weapons for the upcoming season.
Jordan Howard would call it moments of accountability.
“If we have any mistakes at practice, if we have any penalties or turnovers he makes us run after practice,” said Howard of his quarterback’s motivational technique. “That’s definitely something new, but he’s definitely pushing everybody, he’s doing a great job of managing the team.”
While new to Howard, Glennon’s way of making his team accountable for issues on the field is one that you might see on football fields from Pee Wee to college. The extra cardio vascular training is a simple way to keep the offensive players on task during workouts at Olivet Nazarene University.
At the same time, he’s not being provincial.
“He runs as well,” said Howard of Glennon and the punishment workouts. “He tells us how many mistakes we had – how many false starts, how many turnovers a day. Then he tells us how many we’re going to run.”
It’s one of the many ways that Glennon is trying to exert his leadership among the group, doing so for the first time since the 2014 season. That’s when he was in his second year as a starter for the Buccaneers but eventually lost the job as new head coach Lovie Smith went a different direction.
The last two seasons Glennon served as the backup for 2015 first round pick Jameis Winston, only playing in two games since with just 11 pass attempts. Yet for Howard, the quarterback has picked up where he left off as a starter from a leadership role over the past few months.
“He definitely has command of the huddle,” said Howard. “When he gets in, everybody is listening. If he sees somebody that’s lacking or something like that, he gets us pushing and stuff.”
Naturally, Glennon was asked early in training camp if he felt like his leadership was earning him the respect of his fellow offensive players.
“I think that’s kinda been the case really from the moment I got here and reached out with guys,” said Glennon when asked if the players looked to him as the leader of the offense on Monday. “We’re lucky to have a really good group of guys, everyone’s bought into what we’re doing and I think everyone’s been a really good teammate so far.”
If they are not, Glennon’s got some drills for you to complete.
