You know why I grieve for Terry Glenn, who died in a car accident early Monday morning? It’s because he seemed to have finally found the peace he searched a lifetime trying to discover.
I covered Terry during the five years he played with the Cowboys, but I hadn’t talked to him in years. I tried to connect with him last October for a piece I was doing on Tony Romo, but I couldn’t get a good number for him.
We didn’t have a great relationship, but we were cool, in part, because we each attended Ohio State. Terry, though, was guarded by nature, especially when it came to the media.
He didn’t let many folks inside his circle because he didn’t trust a lot of people - and that’s OK. His mom was murdered when he was 13 - beaten to death by a boyfriend - and that’s something that could and would certainly affect someone for a lifetime. Subsequently, he felt abandoned by his family.
Terry didn’t talk much when he played for the Cowboys. I don’t remember many 1-on-1 conversations for a guy who played five seasons with the Cowboys and made a bunch of big plays.
But I do remember the talent. It was unforgettable.
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If you’re talking strictly talent, it was easy to see why he was the 7th player taken in the 1996 draft.
He had everything you wanted in a receiver except size. He had speed, grace and agility. He had terrific hands, he’d pluck the ball out the air and he made more acrobatic catches than anyone I’d seen for the Cowboys. And he ran quality routes because once he got a step it was over.
Imagine a dude with Joey Galloway’s speed and Michael Irvin’s hands. That was Terry Glenn.
Photos: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 2017
He was that good, but he also had self-destructive moments that kept him from maximizing all of his potential.
Terry had problems after he left football, finding direction for his life like a lot of athletes do. But if you take a look at his Facebook page, it’ll bring you to tears.
He didn’t make frequent posts, but the ones he did make were powerful. There’s an ode to his mom on Mother’s Day that’s as powerful as anything you’ll read. He alludes to some mental issues that he finally figured out how to control.
And a few months ago, he talked about the birth of his son. Terry had several kids, from 20 to the infant named Greyson - and he had a relationship with all of them.
Understand, how important he took fatherhood because he didn’t have that type of relationship with his father. He became engaged in October, and he posted the proposal on social media because he wanted the world to know he was happy.
I’m thrilled Terry found peace before he died early Monday morning. My only wish is that he had found it sooner.
