Detroit Lions' secret weapon: The defensive mind of Aaron Glenn

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Aaron Glenn grew up in Bordersville, a 9.4-square-mile community just on the outskirts of Houston. It was built in the 1920s, a settlement of wooden shacks, created so African Americans could work at a sawmill in nearby Humble.

The mill eventually closed. Houston Intercontinental Airport was built next door, cordoning the neighborhood off from modern development. Still the people stayed in those old rickety houses, living in poverty on dirt roads and without even basic services. The area didn’t have dedicated waterlines until 1981, the year Glenn turned 9.

“It is not the best area to grow up in,” Glenn said. “But it was a great area for me because it taught me a lot of lessons on how to operate, how to react, how to protect myself. I have a lot of love for where I grew up at. That’s me.”

Football lifted Glenn out of Bordersville, first as an All-American at Texas A&M, then 15 seasons as a Pro Bowl lockdown corner in the NFL. On Sunday it will bring him back home as defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, who will take on the Houston Texans on Sunday night.

The Lions (7-1) are arguably the best team in the league, in part because Glenn’s defense, despite a slew of injuries, has begun to match the team’s high-powered offense.

“A tough, physical, violent operation that loves to play man coverage,” Glenn said of his defense. “That’s who we are. That’s our identity.”

Glenn said this while sitting in a conference room here at team headquarters, a brief respite from the endless hours of grind he’s become famous for around here.

“Nobody works harder or longer than he does,” head coach Dan Campbell said.

Some of that is Bordersville, Glenn says. Some of that is just him.

Nothing was ever given, so he’s lived his life like he designs his defense — aggressive and resilient. He lasted a decade and a half as a player, before becoming a businessman operating eight restaurants in Houston. He sold those to get into NFL scouting and coaching, slowly climbing the ranks.

Now at 52 years old, the league has begun to take notice. The Lions' defense ranks second in interceptions, third in takeaways and QB pressures, fourth in red zone stops and fifth in points allowed per game.

What was once a team that relied heavily on its offense — to the point it influenced Campbell’s famed fourth-down attempts — is now balanced out. The Lions invested in their defense and have thrived despite losing three pass rushers to injury, including star Aidan Hutchinson during a blowout victory over Dallas last month.

“Right when it happened, I knew it was a huge blow,” Glenn said of Hutchinson’s broken leg.

He remained confident. This wasn’t a setback, he told the team. It was an opportunity.

“Coach Glenn maintained his composure and rallied everyone together,” safety Brian Branch said. “Opportunity presents itself. You have to take your opportunity.”

“Just means someone else has to step up,” cornerback Terrion Arnold added.

Detroit gave up just three points to Dallas after Hutchinson went down. The Lions have allowed just 19.0 a game in three victories since.

“We have some guys on this defense, they are not big names, but they don’t really give a [expletive],” Glenn said. “Not saying we don’t care about Aidan, but ‘next guy.’ And that’s a cliché, but we really live by that.

“We don't have a first and second team,” he continued. “I don't call them that. We have players. So if one player goes in, I expect you to play like a starter. It’s one thing to teach scheme. It's another to have an identity. This is how we are going to play. If you are not up to that then you are not going to be on this field.

“You can never replace Aidan, but what you can do is play your ass off and you can play with the mentality and our identity won’t change at all.”

Glenn seems to thrive amid the chaos. Against Green Bay, Branch was ejected for targeting and the Lions allowed just 11 points afterward while converting a pick 6 the other way. This week the team added veteran end Za’Darius Smith, who they picked up in a trade from Cleveland, to help fill the loss of Hutchinson.

Glenn said Smith will be great because his values match the defense.

“We have a true identity on this football team,” Glenn said. “And it’s not for everybody. Everybody doesn’t fit with what we do because not everybody can take it. It’s for the tough, it’s for the grinders, it’s for the gritty, it’s for the guys who want to improve on a day-to-day basis. And you are never satisfied.”

One of the questions around Detroit this season is how long Campbell can keep his two coordinators — Glenn and OC Ben Johnson — both of whom should be coveted head coaching candidates and both of whom credit the other with making them better.

“He keeps me on edge,” Johnson said. “It’s always iron sharpens iron. He has really challenged me to stay cutting edge and attack. We’ve gone back and forth during training camp and in the springtime. We’ll make some adjustments and he’ll make some adjustments. It’s just constant competition between the two of us.”

For all of Glenn’s obvious charisma and leadership skills, it’s the schemes that stand out inside the building.

“First off, he’s salt of the earth,” Campbell said. “He’s an unbelievable human being. He’s a man of high character. … The things we go into a game with to attack opponents I think is some of the best in the league. And then when you start losing some pieces here or there and you are still trying to attack them, you have to use what you have on the roster.”

All of it has prepared Glenn for what’s coming next — a playoff push, a possible Super Bowl run and perhaps his own opportunities after.

“I am ready to sit in that seat and handle whatever challenge comes at me,” Glenn said. “I’ve always wanted to be the best I can be, whether I was a player or a coach. And I think that will serve me as a head coach, because I don’t want to just be average.”

Average doesn’t take you from pre-running water Bordersville to the NFL. Now he comes home with a defense to show off, in prime-time nationally and up-close locally, where friends and family will watch from the stands.

“It’s just a different feel,” Glenn said, “especially with this team we have now. We have the opportunity for my family to see what we have been building since I got here.

“Now you get a chance to see it live.”