HAMILTON — Kevin Glenn is living proof of just how fleeting success can be in the CFL.
Last summer, Glenn was the toast of the town in Winnipeg after being named the East Division’s outstanding player and leading the Blue Bombers to a 2007 Grey Cup berth. Less than a year later, the nine-year veteran finds himself in a new city after unceremoniously being dumped and second on the depth chart to a player four years his junior on a rebuilding club that’s coming off a league-worst 3-15 record.
“That’s just the business, life isn’t perfect,” Glenn said Monday. “This kind of stuff is the norm, it happens in professional sports.
“You have to learn from it, take it as part of the business and move on and try to take advantage of what might happen in the future and now dwell on the past.”
Just over a week into training camp with Hamilton, Glenn finds himself preparing to return to Winnipeg, where he was the Bombers’ starter for 4 1/2 years.
The Ticats will travel to Manitoba for their first exhibition game Wednesday night and Glenn will definitely see action against his former team.
Wins have been few and far between for the Ticats, who haven’t made the CFL playoffs since 2004 and have compiled a 15-57 overall record in that span.
But there’s a sense of optimism this season in Steeltown, thanks to a busy off-season by general manager Bob O’Billovich.
In addition to signing Glenn, Hamilton also dipped into free agency to land offensive linemen Alexandre Gauthier, linebackers Otis Floyd and Agustin Barrenechea and defensive end Brandon Guillory.
And nowhere is the club’s optimism for success higher than at quarterback, with sophomore Quinton Porter opening camp atop the depth chart after the Ticats released disappointing veteran Casey Printers in the off-season.
Porter, whose teammate at Boston College was current Atlanta Falcons star Matt Ryan, showed flashes of brilliance late last year in place of Printers.
But Porter is only entering his second CFL season and still learning the nuances of Canadian football. Should he struggle, or worse get injured, having a veteran like Glenn — who owns a Tim Hortons franchise in his hometown of Detroit — available would certainly be an advantage for the Ticats.