Aaron Glenn will always have a special place in his heart for the New York Jets, who jumpstarted both of his NFL careers. Just not on Sunday, when his old team hosts his new one in a huge game in Glenn's old stomping grounds.
Glenn spent 13 years with the Jets, who drafted him 12th overall in 1994, first as a two-time Pro Bowl corner and later as a personnel scout as he made his way into coaching. Now he's the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, who travel to East Rutherford, NJ this weekend as one of the hottest teams in the NFL.
Glenn, 50, said Thursday he's "very fond" of the Jets "because they gave me my start as a player and as a coach." And he still has "really good friends" inside the organization.
"So any time I have a chance to go against this team, I want to beat the hell out of them," he said with a smile. "Even though I have a lot of love for that organization, I really do, I want to beat the hell out of them.”
That will be no easy task, even with the Jets playing their former third-string quarterback Mike White. Their defense, unlike Detroit's, is one of the best in the NFL. But Glenn's unit has turned a corner itself. The Lions are allowing about 20 points per game during a stretch in which they've won five of six and roared back into the playoff race, down from more than 30 points per game amid their 1-6 start.
"We were playing terrible, and that’s not who you want to be as a player or as a coach," said Glenn. "That’s not who you want to be as a defense. We have guys with a lot of pride on this defense."
Together, Glenn said he and the players "drew a line saying, enough was enough." The coaches simplified things schematically to help a banged-up defense play more freely and the players have since formed an identity as "being tough, violent and hunting the ball," said Glenn. The Lions are one of the NFL leaders in takeaways over the last six games.
This is Glenn's ninth year as an NFL coach, quite the run for someone who never thought he'd stay on the field when his playing days were over.
“I really didn’t, to be honest with you," Glenn said. "I thought I should be this businessman, suit and tie, and that’s not who I am. Man, I am a warm-up, get on the field, scream, curse, and try to get guys to get better. That’s who I am, and that’s okay.”
He'll be screaming on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, trying to beat the foe that forged him.