July 21, 2009
By Richard Stevens — Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
His welcome mat to the NFL’s Millionaire Club officially was laid down before ex-LoboGlover Quin this past Thursday when the Houston Texans offered Quin a four-year deal reportedly worth around $2.2 million — and Quin accepted.
But Quin’s path to the NFL was scratched out long ago when a small-town boy from Summit, Miss., decided that he was good enough to dream a big-time dream of someday playing the game at another level.
In Summit, Miss., the next level is almost anything that takes you beyond North Pike High, which often is a dead end around those parts even for the best of athletes.
‘We don’t have too many guys go on,” said Quin. “It’s a hard place to come out of. A lot of the guys don’t want to leave and there isn’t always the opportunity to leave. But I had my mind set at an early age what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. I always tried to do what I thought was necessary.”
Mostly for Quin that meant doing things the right way — on the field, in the classroom. At North Pike High, he was All-Everything and was the school’s MVP in both football and basketball. Quin thought he would play football at Southern Mississippi or maybe Mississippi State, but those chances fell through for various reasons.
He ended up at Southwest Mississippi Community College, but only played six full games in two seasons, losing games to a broken arm, a sprained knee and a Hurricane named Katrina.
That might have been the dead end that threatens so many athletes from Summit, Miss., but the University of New Mexico saw enough on film to know that Quin was something special.
Better yet, he was more than good enough to be a Lobo. And being a Lobo got Quin to start thinking more and more about taking one more step up the ladder of football success.
“I think most football players who are pretty good dream about playing in the NFL,” said Quin. “But when you realize you are good enough to compete at the Division I level, you realize it could happen, that you have a chance.
“When I came to New Mexico, I saw that I sized up pretty good with the other guys. I was just as good, just as strong, just as fast. You start to realize you have a chance, if you take care of business.”
Quin always has taken care of business, gone the extra yard, ran the extra lap, put in the extra hours in the weight room. At Southwest Mississippi Community College, he made himself a more attractive D-I recruit by getting his degree early. He took 20 hours his first semester, 20 hours his second semester, took six hours in summer school and took 18 hours his third semester.
If a D-I school wanted Quin to come in early, he was prepared to go. Which is whathappend at UNM. As a Lobo, Quin was a three-year starter and was first team all-Mountain West in his senior campaign of 2008. He finished his career with 156 tackles, a school record 32 pass break-ups and seven interceptions.
Quin was voted most valuable player by his teammates last season, the first defensive back to earn the honor since Brian Urlacher in 1999. The Texans drafted him in the fourth round and he made an immediate impact in training camp.
“There hasn’t been a rookie since I’ve been here that has gotten his hand on more footballs than this guy,” Texans general manager Rick Smith told the Houston Chronicle. “He has made some incredible interceptions. He has great ball skills and he’s fast and has a physical presence.”
|
The O-linemen are bigger and can move a little better and the running backs are bigger and can move a little better, but I’m bigger and I move a little better.” Glover Quin, comparing college ball to NFL ball |
Said Quin; “You always want to come in and make a good impression. They draft you, so they believe you can play, but you still want to make a good impressiona and even show them that maybe you are better than what they thought.
Quin told GoLobos.com that every snap he has played has come at the cornerback position. He says he expects to get some playing time during his rookie season of 2009.
“I want and I plan to be out there,” said Quin. “I’m not out here thinking I’m a rookie and thinking that gives me room for error. I look at it that I’m a professional athlete and I have a job to do.
“It’s a hard league to play in because it isn’t just a tremendous physical league. There are tremendous mental responsibilities. There is so much that comes into play at this level.
“One aspect of the NFL that I like is that you are given the opportunity to take care of your responsibilities and not worry about a lot of other things. If you do your job and contain what you are suppose to contain, you know you are surrounded by professionals who are going to be doing their job.”
Of course, another thing Quin likes about the NFL is being one of those professionals.
“A lot of people wake up every morning and go to a job they don’t enjoy, but they have to do it to make a living,” he said. “I have a chance to play a game I love and get paid for it. It’s great.”