| Current Poll |
Are you for armed guards at schools?
View Results
|
|
Story Archives: Glynn no ordinary Joe
- 2013 - 285 articles
- 2012 - 856 articles
- 2011 - 635 articles
- 2010 - 1276 articles
- 2009 - 1591 articles
- 2008 - 1763 articles
|
Glynn no ordinary Joe
Jonesville native and former Huntington and Monterey coach Paul Glynn expected to be going up against the likes of Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown, NFL MVP Rich Gannon, sack legend Simeon Rice, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Steve McNair or Priest Holmes.
But after being picked to compete on Spike TV's Pros vs. Joes, Glynn found himself competing against Alonzo "Zo" Mourning, Antoine Walker and 3-point shooting legend Eddie Jones in basketball.
Pros vs. Joes is a physical reality game show that features male amateur contestants (the "Joes") matching themselves against professional athletes (the "Pros"), comprised mostly of retired male and female pro-athletes in a series of athletic feats related to the expertise sport of the Pro they are facing.
"I sent in a video around last November and checked a box saying I wanted to play football," Glynn said. "I did football drills, shot the basketball, had a coach set up the pitching machine for baseball and had one of the janitors who is an ex-Golden Glove give me some boxing tips. I was training for everything and videoed that, but I checked football. They called me and I went in to Los Angeles in March for the filming. When I got out there they put me in the basketball segment."
The segment aired last week on Spike TV and is available on spike.com.
Glynn, an assistant football and basketball coach and science teacher at West Monroe High, was chosen to compete against Antoine Walker in the Around the World competition, shooting from five different spots on the floor with a two-minute time limit.
"We warmed up with a composite basketball and then when we began they gave me a leather ball that was aired up to the max," Glynn said.
Glynn made shots from four of the five spots in the two-minute span. His final shot from beyond the 3-point line was just off the mark. Walker made his baskets from all five spots with 1:07 remaining.
"I don't know why the producers chose me because I was the worst shooter on the team," Glynn said. "I wanted them to give me a rebounding competition, something where I could get in the middle and battle."
Glynn said Mourning was originally picked to be his opponent in the shootaround.
"But he told them he wasn't doing that," Glynn said. "He threatened to walk out and they weren't going to let that happen because if he walks, they don't have a show."
A slight case of stage fright didn't help.
"Honestly in my athletic career I have never been as nervous in my whole life I was for that," Glynn said. "It was all Hollywood, stop, shoot, stop, shoot. OK, your turn, go out there and this is it. It didn't go as I planned. But I don't think we were put in a position to win."
Glynn was paired with Roderigus Ceasar and Amseshem Henderson.
"Roderigus is the No. 1-rated rugby player in the world," Glynn said. "He put down football, too, but was told he would be playing basketball."
When contacted about being on the show, Glynn, who graduated from Huntington in 1984, began a serious workout regimen.
"I had not been doing any training," he said. "I started running and lifting and lost about 26 pounds. Rick Roberts at Athletic Republic put me through the ringer," Glynn said. "He put me on the same training schedule as D.J Banks, who played quarterback for us at West Monroe and signed with Tulane. I made a video where I did a bunch of what we used to call suicide runs, a vertical jump, bench press and running a pro shuttle that I sent in. You had to send in a bunch of excercises that were timed. I felt like I was back in two-a-days."
The Joes won the Beat the Press competition, 3-1, but lost the buzzer beater game by a 2-0 score.
The Pros won the 5-minute half court game by a 15-12 score.
Mourning told the official in the half-court 5-minute game that he was going to slap him if he didn't stop Glynn from slapping him.
"I don't know where that came from, because I didn't slap him," Glynn said. "He gave me a couple of cheap shots, but I got in there and battled with him and gave him a couple back."
Those watching could easily see that tried to do too much on his own.
Ceasar took most of the shots in the game competitions.
"A lot of people told me the only way I was getting the ball is if I got a rebound," Glynn said. "But Roderigus is really a good guy. I think he was trying to prove something. He really is an outstanding athlete and is as fast as anybody I've seen on a field. At least if I can't win a competition, maybe I can help this guy get in the NFL. I told him I would talk to Bradie James and Andrew Whitworth about trying to get him a workout."
The 43-year old Glynn said all three pros were super to work with, even though Mourning could be "a little testy."
"A lot of people told me they looked like jerks on TV, but they really weren't," Glynn said. "Eddie Jones is as humble as you can get and he was Kobe Bryant's mentor. If anyone could have had an attitude, it would have been him, but he is as humble as the day is long. He told me he watched my video and asked me about my four kids. He was just a super guy."
Glynn's oldest son, Tyler, is a preferred walk-on at LSU where he will play in the defensive backfield.
Glynn was an honorable mention selection on the All-Northeast Louisiana Basketball Team in 1983-84.
The show is hosted by Jay Glazer and former NFL great Michael Strahan and Jay Glazer.
"The announcers and players called me 'Coach' or 'Pops' the whole time," Glynn said. "I still don't think they know my name."
But Glynn said the memories will last a lifetime.
"I'll never forget it," he said. "The show is just what it says, a chance for the armchair quarterback to have the chance to do what they have always wished they could do. I wish I could have actually played football. If I would have made more shots it would have been better, but I wouldn't say it was a bad experience."
Glynn said everyone at West Monroe was very supportive.
"When the kids found out about it we had a big get-together and that was a big moment for me," he said. "They helped me train and I wanted to be able to come back and say I won it for you guys because you helped me out. But they understood. I showed them some of the drills we did and they saw it was not as easy as they thought."
Glynn said he enjoyed his free trip to Los Angeles.
"We went by the Staples Center and the L.A. Forum," he said. "It was really great."
Glynn said when he found out the telecast would be aired in June, he figured it would be a good Father's Day gift for his father, Don Glynn of Jonesville.
"My dad has always been there for me," Glynn said. "I wanted to make him proud of me, so I was disappointed I did not do as well as I would have liked and I felt in my heart I had let him down. But when I talked to him he told me he was proud of me. He made me feel a lot better about it." |
|
| Frank Morris Murder Series |
|
|
E-mail Story
Print Story
