Glover is Utah's lethal weapon

Sporting News, The, August 17, 1998 by Joe Baird

Featured on the cover of the WAC media guide, as well as his own team's, Utah's Phil Glover has arrived as one of the league's premier players and one of the best linebackers in the nation.

Never mind that he isn't sold on the idea.

"God has blessed me with some ability, but I'm still learning how to utilize it," says Glover, a 6-0, 237-pound senior. "As far as I'm concerned, I haven't lived up to my own expectations. I look at it like I'm coming off a mediocre season. I'm trying to capitalize on that to make myself better."

Mediocre? Glover earned All-WAC honors last year after turning in a season that included 90 tackles (53 unassisted), seven tackles for loss and four sacks. Though on the short side, Glover has gotten the attention of pro scouts with his 4.38 40 time and a 38-inch vertical jump.

"He has a great future," Utah coach Ron McBride says. "The thing Phil's got that you can't put a computer to is speed. Not many players run a 4.4 40 at 240 pounds. It's his ability to run, to make plays, that sets him apart."

McBride should know, having already sent Utes defensive stalwarts Anthony Davis (Kansas City) and Luther Elliss (Detroit) to the NFL.

"(Glover is) a big, strong guy who can really move around," BYU offensive coordinator Norm Chow says. "You always have to be aware of where he is on the field. He's a playmaker who can present major problems in terms of his speed and mobility."

Glover originally attended Washington State, where he was part of a core group that eventually helped get the Cougars to the Rose Bowl last season. But for whatever reason, Glover never meshed with the Washington State coaching staff. Blaming team politics, he transferred to Utah after two seasons, red-shirting in 1996.

Utah, which was closer to Glover's hometown of Las Vegas, provided a familiar alternative. McBride had recruited Glover out of high school, and high school teammate Clarence Lawson (now graduated) made his college home in Salt Lake City. The WAC was a notch below the Pac-10 in terms of stature, but under McBride, the Utes had become semi-regular bowl visitors.

Glover admitted a twinge of envy after watching his old WSU teammates win the Pac-10 title and get to the Rose Bowl last season. But he has no regrets. "For a couple weeks there, I thought, 'Damn, I could have been there,' "he says. "But everything happens for a reason. If I was meant to be there, 1 would be. I'm happy where I am."

Glover, who is married with two children, arrived at Utah as an inside linebacker. But injuries last season forced him to the outside, where he eventually settled at the weakside--or rover--spot. He still considers himself an inside guy at heart but knows his future is on the perimeter.

"It took some getting used to," he says. "There were different responsibilities, different reads and different techniques that I had to adjust to. But this allows the team to better utilize me. I can roam around more freely and help out in a lot of different ways."

Most of Glover's dissatisfaction with last season stems from Utah's disappointing 6-5 finish. The Utes beat all of the upper-echelon teams they needed to (BYU, New Mexico and Rice) to earn a spot in the WAC championship game. But they fell short against SMU, Tulsa and Fresno State, teams they should have handled easily. The losses kept Utah out of a bowl. Glover hopes he and his teammates have learned from the experience.

"You get out of it what you put in," he says. "We played at a lower level against some of those teams, and it cost us. Losing to Tulsa was the big thing. They made their season by knocking us off. It's going to be different this year as far as guys coming in and knowing what they need to do. Nobody wants to go through that again."

RELATED ARTICLE: CONFERENCE RANK: 7

Predicted order of finish

Mountain

1. Colorado State 2. Rice 3. Wyoming 4. SMU 5. Air Force 6. UNLV 7. TCU 8. Tulsa

Pacific

1. Utah 2. BYU 3. San Diego State 4. New Mexico 5. Fresno State 6. UTEP 7. Hawaii 8. San Jose State

Conference "best"

While Glover is the best linebacker in the WAC, here are the best in the other conferences:

ACC: Keith Newman, OLB, North Carolina.

Bill East: Gary Stills, OLB, West Virginia.

Bill Ten: Andy Katzenmoyer, ILB, Ohio State.

Bill 12: Jeff Kelly, ILB, Kansas State.

Bill West: Tony D'Amato, ILB, Utah State.

Conference USA: Roderick Coleman, OLB, East Carolina.

Independents: Brian Smith, ILB, UAB.

MAC: Jo Juan Armour, OLB, Miami (Ohio).

Pac-10: Chris Claiborne, ILB, USC.

SEC: Jevon Kearse, OLB, Florida.

Offensive player: Anthony Cesario, G, Colorado State.

Defensive player: Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, E, San Diego State.

Coach: Sonny Lubick, Colorado State.

Offensive newcomer:. Paris Gaines, TB, Fresno State.

Defensive newcomer: Clarence Martin, T, San Diego State.

Conference game: BYU at Utah, November 21.

Non-conference game: Colorado vs. Colorado State in Denver, September 5.

Offensive backfield: New Mexico.

Offensive line: Colorado State.

Wide receivers: Tulsa.

Defensive line: BYU.

Linebackers: Colorado State.

Secondary: San Jose State.