The Reunion Is Secondary : Davis Is Old Friend, but Newcomers Glenn and Taylor Just Trying to Fit In
It was almost like a scene from “Gunsmoke.”
But in this case, it was Wayne Davis drawing a pair of six-shooters, not Marshall Dillon.
“Once the pass was incomplete, we’d shoot the receiver down,” Davis said. “You know, like this . . .”
Standing at his dressing cubicle in the Charger locker room, Davis went into his act again. In a rapid-fire sequence, Davis showed how he and Vencie Glenn used to figuratively dispose of pass receivers at Indiana State University.
“Once we (Glenn and Davis) shot down a receiver from across the field,” Davis said. “He (Glenn) was on one side and I was on the other, and we both started shooting down the receiver.”
Those were the years, 1982-84, when Davis started at cornerback and Glenn at free safety for Indiana State. Each was named Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year in his senior season, and Glenn has the school interception record with 17.
“We had a real good understanding out there,” Davis said. “He didn’t worry about opponents going deep because he knew I’d take care of it. And I knew he’d help me out.”
Said Glenn: “Wayne was the best corner that ever came out of Indiana State. He was good. He always held his own and he made my job easier.”
This mutual admiration society now is based in San Diego.
Davis, recently removed from the starting lineup, is playing his second season at cornerback for the Chargers. He was the first player selected by the Chargers in the second round and the 39th player taken overall in the 1985 draft.
Glenn was selected in the second round by New England and was the 54th player chosen in the 1986 draft.
“I knew he was a pro prospect,” Davis said.
But he never imagined that Glenn, who spent a week visiting him in San Diego last summer, would be his teammate a couple of months later.
In an attempt to shore up a secondary hampered by injuries to Danny Walters and John Hendy, the Chargers acquired Glenn from the New England Patriots in exchange for a future draft pick on Sept. 29.
“I was shocked when I heard about the trade,” Glenn said. “That whole day I was kind of down and out . . .
“New England was great. I was glad I got a chance to play there a couple of months. I learned a lot from the experienced players on defense.”
Glenn played briefly against the Broncos last week and will be used in nickel-back situations in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs in Kansas City.
“This is a better opportunity for me as far as getting to play,” Glenn said. “I knew they (Chargers) needed help in the secondary. Maybe I’m in a situation where I can help this team and get a chance to help myself.”
Glenn went from a good defensive unit on a team that went to the Super Bowl last season to a defense that is ranked last in the league.
“It’s hard to compare teams in the NFL,” Glenn said. “But there is definitely a different atmosphere here. Guys there have been to the Super Bowl and know what it takes to get there. In New England, everyone knows each other. Here in San Diego the guys are still figuring each other out.”
One Charger who is trying to fit in with the Charger defense is former Bear cornerback Ken Taylor, waived by the Bears at the end of training camp and signed by San Diego as a free agent Sept. 16.
Ironically, in the game against Denver last week, Glenn made his second appearance for the Chargers and Taylor replaced Davis as a starting cornerback.
They play the same position, but Davis and Taylor are as different as the Bear and Charger defenses.
Davis is known for his bravado, Taylor for being reserved.
“I’m not an eccentric kind of guy,” said Taylor, who analyzes questions carefully before answering. “My self-confidence doesn’t come across in the same way as it does for most cornerbacks in the colleges or pros.
“But you need to be cocky and overconfident when you are out there alone.”
In a quiet, yet assertive manner, the former Bear has quickly moved into the Charger starting lineup.
Last season, Taylor signed with the Bears as a rookie free agent and made three interceptions while playing in 16 games for the top-ranked defense in the league. “When I signed with the Bears I had no idea we would go to the Super Bowl in record fashion,” said Taylor. “I probably didn’t even realize how fortunate I was. Look at Charlie Joiner. He has waited a long time for a Super Bowl ring. In Chicago, I walk on as a free agent and get to go to the Super Bowl.”
That’s a game and day that Taylor vividly remembers.
“I remember the intensity of our defense,” Taylor said. “Moments before the game, Mike Singletary’s eyes were red. It was like he was in tears, but he wasn’t crying.”
Like most players in the NFL, even the soft-spoken Taylor perks up when it comes to talking about Philadelphia Eagle Coach Buddy Ryan, who was the Bear defensive coordinator last season.
“He didn’t like rookies so he got on my case,” Taylor said. “But I respected him because the superstar players respected him so much that there had to be more to the man than just cussing at me.”