NFL Brothers Prep Jordan Glasgow for Indianapolis Colts Opportunity

INDIANAPOLIS — Linebacker Jordan Glasgow exudes a quiet confidence about making it in the NFL.

Given his family bloodline, it’s easy to understand why the Indianapolis Colts’ sixth-round selection sounds prepared for this next step. His path from Michigan walk-on to the NFL was also paved by older brothers Graham and Ryan.

Graham is a center for the Denver Broncos. Ryan is a defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals. And they’ve been helping their 23-year-old younger brother for the challenge ahead.

At 6-1 and 226 pounds, Jordan is considered undersized by NFL linebacker standards. But the Colts see an intense player whose energy and fearlessness make him ideal to become a special teams leader.

“I would say that I’m pretty energetic,” Jordan said in a Zoom video conference call. “I mean that can be taken a few different ways. I would say in terms of football, I’m always willing to go the extra mile, do whatever I need to do – meetings, extra, and all that stuff. In terms of not fearing anything, in the context of football – whatever a team asks me to do that’s what I’m going to try and do. I’m not going to try and shy away from it. So whatever the Colts ask me to do when I come in as I continue with my process with them, I’ll have no fear.”

He’s been living with Ryan and they are neighbors with Graham, so Jordan has observed what the NFL has required for his brothers to succeed. Like the rookie said, whatever it takes.

“Both of my brothers kind of went through it at the same time, being only a year apart,” Jordan said. “My parents and grandparents really set us up with that mentality. My parents worked very hard at their jobs to put us into a good situation to go to a good high school, to go to a great college, to be able to take a walk-on spot at the University of Michigan and being able to help us pay for tuition and not be afraid to go to that type of school, both athletically and academically, to be able to chase our dreams. They gave us the opportunity.

“Both my brothers have capitalized on it and I’ve capitalized on it. I hope to continue to take the opportunity that they gave me and run with it.”

At Michigan, Jordan had a breakthrough senior season, particularly when used in blitzes. He was the Wolverines’ second-leading tackler 89 total stops, including seven for losses and five sacks. He was named Special Teams Player of the Week seven times in his career.

“I think that Ryan – the one that I’m currently living with – does a tremendous job in terms of taking care of his body whether that be nutrition or the proper supplements to take,” Jordan said. “He’s a real student of understanding what you can intake into your body to make you better. Graham has a little bit more 'laxed' feel to him. I think that he’s kind of taught me to slow down, relax, and enjoy the process as it goes on.

“I’ve been doing what I can with both of them in terms of working out throughout this whole ordeal. It’s been a great thing to go through with my two older brothers and be able to spend this time together before we’re split apart for however long.”

Late-round draft selections are typically described as possible long shots to make the NFL opening day roster. But Jordan, again, is confident.

As the 213th overall selection in the draft, he noticed where other players were selected ahead of him, and that fuels the fire even more.

“I went around where I thought I would’ve gone if I was drafted,” he said. “But I saw a lot of people picked before me and that got me. Even though I went where I thought I was going to go and where I thought I should go, it got me excited and fired up to see how many people were picked before me and how many people that NFL teams think were better than me.

“They may have been better than me in college, but what matters is the work you put in now going forward.”

He recognizes the preconceived notions about late-round selections. He likens them to when he arrived at Michigan.

“Early on in my college career, I’m used to going through it,” he said. “I mean I’m used to changing people’s minds about me. If someone has a bad opinion about me, I look forward to changing that. I’m just going to try and do the best that I can, moving forward.”

(Here’s more on Jordan Glasgow at SI’s WolverineDigest.)