FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots drafted wide receiver Terry Glenn for his speed on a football field.
Last Saturday, he lost control of his car and struck a tree after driving about 60 mph in a 35 mph zone near the Ohio State campus, police say. Today, he has a six-year contract worth nearly $12 million, $5 million of it guaranteed.
“I’m very grateful and thank God that he allowed me to continue my life and be here today,” Glenn, the seventh pick in the NFL draft, said Friday at a news conference announcing his signing.
Glenn and free agent signee Shawn Jefferson give the Patriots deep threats to stretch defenses and provide Drew Bledsoe with more room to throw. But team owner Bob Kraft said that isn’t all the Patriots expect of Glenn.
He said he had a heart-to-heart talk Thursday with Glenn, whom he called “a wonderful human being” and told him “you have money available to you and also a lot of responsibility. … I feel that he truly understands.”
Neither Glenn nor his passenger was seriously hurt in the accident in which police said there was no indication of alcohol or drug use. Glenn entered innocent pleas to traffic citations Thursday, and a pretrial hearing was set for July 25.
“It was a freak accident,” Glenn said. “I can’t really get into details about how it happened.”
The 5-foot-10 Glenn emerged last year from the shadows of Joey Galloway and Chris Sanders, who played ahead of him at Ohio State in 1994. Last season, Glenn had 64 receptions for school records of 1,411 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Against the Gophers on Nov. 4 at the Metrodome, Glenn caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Bobby Hoying before injuring his ribs on a diving catch in the second quarter. After that play, he never returned in the game.
Still, he returned to the lineup the next week and eventually won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top college receiver. He left Ohio State after his junior year.
The Patriots are hoping he can team for the next six seasons with Bledsoe, who also has six years left on his contract.
“I like continuity. It’s worked for me in other businesses,” Kraft said. “Terry represents to us the final piece in putting an overpowering offense together.”
Without a deep receiving corps, Bledsoe hasn’t lived up to expectations after being taken with the top pick in the 1993 draft. Now he has Glenn and Jefferson to go with Vincent Brisby, Will Moore and tight end Ben Coates.
Glenn said he heard rumors the Patriots might draft him and felt “this would be the best situation for me because they have a building team and a great quarterback and, from what I know now, a great owner.”
But what about the coach, Bill Parcells?
“I felt a taste of it during the rookie camp. He had me doing a couple of little things that I heard that he’ll have me doing (in training camp), like going to get the Gatorade and stuff like that,” Glenn said. “I’m prepared for it.”