Dan Thorpe didn’t need to hear the endorsement to reinforce what he already knew to be true of Ryan Glasgow, but he appreciated it.
“The University of Iowa offensive line coach was in to see me the other day, and he said if you studied the tape of their game with Michigan, Ryan Glasgow was the most outstanding defensive lineman they faced that day,” Thorpe said.
“Ryan is just the ultimate team player. He got double-teamed a lot. It’s great to have kids you’ve coached be able to follow their dreams.”
The 6-foot-3, 302-pound Glasgow, a defensive tackle from DeKalb, played for Thorpe at Marmion before making it at Michigan as a preferred walk-on.
Cincinnati scouts may have watched the film, too. The Bengals selected Glasgow on Saturday in the fourth round of the NFL Draft with the 138th pick overall.
“The Bengals didn’t really talk to me too much before the draft, so when the Cincinnati area code (513) came up on the phone, I was kind of surprised,” Glasgow said. “I’m looking forward to the competition at minicamp, which is next weekend. I’ll probably drive down Wednesday.”
The year before, his brother and offensive lineman Graham Glasgow had taken the same path and was drafted in the third round by Detroit.
Shortly after the draft’s seventh and final round concluded, four other players with area connections began receiving calls from various NFL teams with offers to sign as undrafted free agents.
All had reached agreements in short order: Northern Illinois running back Joel Bouagnon (Aurora Christian) signed with the Bears; Eastern Michigan left tackle Cole Gardner (Batavia) with Tampa Bay; Northwestern linebacker Joseph Jones (Plano) with Dallas; and Aurora University defensive back Justin Higgins with Indianapolis.
“Graham just told me (waiting to be drafted) could be stressful and try to be patient,” Ryan Glasgow said.
Ryan Glasgow played for the North in the Senior Bowl and was invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis for workouts and interviews with pro scouts and staff.
He thinks playing for Jim Harbaugh the past two years may have helped his stock.
“I think he runs thing more like an NFL team,” Ryan Glasgow said.
Graham Glasgow broke into the Lions’ starting lineup at center before the end of his rookie season. They could meet Dec. 24, when the Bengals host the Lions.
“We’ve met thousands of times in practice, so that would be nothing new,” Ryan Glasgow said.
The 6-1, 230-pound Bouagnon, who rushed for 1,285 yards his junior season and 885 last season, scored 34 touchdowns in his career. He received offers from four teams, including Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Green Bay.
“Growing up, I really didn’t have a favorite NFL team,” Bouagnon said. “I just watched whatever game was on.”
By the end of the draft, he was almost relieved he wasn’t taken.
“Signing as a free agent, you make the choice, and my agent and I thought the Bears, essentially, provided the best situation. I know I’ll have to make an impression on special teams to make the team.”
Bouagnon contributed on special teams all four years at NIU.
Gardner started as a tight end at Eastern Michigan and switched to offensive line before his redshirt junior season. He had two offers but didn’t want to name the other team.
Gardner, who is four classes short of earning his masters in business administration, earned second team all-conference honors as a senior. He played in the Tropical Bowl in Daytona Beach, where he was a teammate of AU’s Gibbons.
Twitter @RickArmstrong28
