Glenn checks in from afar

By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff, 2/1/2002

EW ORLEANS - A few teammates have phoned Terry Glenn recently. Not to rub it in. Not to say it's too bad he's not part of a Super Bowl team.

''Terrell [Buckley] has been a good friend,'' said the suspended receiver. ''He checks up on me. Troy [Brown] is great. I mean, I'm happy for those guys. I'm not a part of what's going on, but you know I have some link.

''I think it's best, especially the way things have gone, that I'm not around. They haven't needed me. They don't need me. They've proved that. I'm not upset about it. In some ways I wish I was there because it's the Super Bowl, and I remember what that was like in 1996.

''But I'm taking care of what I have to take care of to get my life back to some kind of normal way. For me now, that's more important than anything.''

Glenn has returned home to the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He is trying to clear himself of his legal problems, which include custody issues with his young son.

On Wednesday, his lawyers filed a suit against the NFL in US District Court in Manhattan, claiming that Glenn's suspension under the league's substance policy was a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, because Glenn suffers from depression. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission gave Glenn's attorneys at Williams and Connolly in Washington 45 days to file suit. They waited until the 45th day.

Is Glenn depressed?

''With all that's happened, sure I am,'' he said. ''It's been a tough year. I feel like I never played football this year for the first time in my life. I felt like I was just going through one bad thing after another. I just want it to end.''

NFL Players Association president Gene Upshaw and general counsel Richard Berthelsen hope to work out a settlement of Glenn's many grievances after the season ends. And Berthelsen is also looking into the expansion rules that say Glenn is ineligible for the Patriots' unprotected list for the Feb. 18 expansion draft because he was not on the opening day roster.

''I'll be working on that over the next two days,'' Berthelsen said. ''That's the first I've heard of that. He was not on the opening day roster because of a suspension.''

Glenn said his agent, Jim Gould, ''asked the Patriots about being placed on the expansion list and they told Jim that I couldn't be because I was serving a suspension.''

Berthelsen said the problem for the Houston Texans, even if they could draft the receiver, would be not knowing what Glenn's salary cap number would be. ''That's why I believe after the expansion list is submitted we need to get to work on trying to get this situation straightened out,'' he said. ''Terry has a few grievances, and the team has some against him. We'd like one global grievance, if possible.''

In November 2000, Glenn signed a 22-page contract, one of the longest in NFL history. It contained several protections for the Patriots. One dealt with repeated violations of bad behavior, which, if they continued, would result in the subtraction of money. The contract also contained a provision that if Glenn was arrested and charged with anything except DUI, he would forfeit money.

The Patriots claim he violated the contract when he violated the NFL's drug policy. That claim is being challenged in court.

Upshaw said he spoke to Patriots owner Robert Kraft Wednesday evening about the possibility of a settlement. Upshaw said he listened to Kraft's concerns about Glenn and told Kraft it would be in the best interests of both parties to resolve the issues, which are mostly monetary. The Patriots are withholding $8.5 million in bonuses from the receiver.

Berthelsen said he did not press the matter of an expedited hearing because he didn't believe coach Bill Belichick would have played Glenn in the playoffs. Berthelsen did confirm that Glenn will receive all playoff bonuses, other than for the divisional game. Glenn could earn more than $100,000 if the Patriots win the Super Bowl.

''I hope we can just go ahead and settle it,'' said Glenn. ''Let's take the month of February, talk, negotiate, whatever they have to do, and just let me go to another team where I can start my career over. I'd like to be able to get someplace soon so I could start learning the system.''

Any plans on talking to Kraft?

''He wouldn't do it,'' said Glenn. ''He wouldn't sit and talk. We've asked, but I guess he doesn't want it to happen.''

Would he come back to the Patriots?

''This sounds strange, but if things were worked out, sure,'' said Glenn. ''But with all that's happened, it's best for everyone to just let it go. I mean, the Patriots have made it to the Super Bowl. They're a Super Bowl team. They could win it.''

He said it felt good to see Drew Bledsoe return to action last week, then added, ''But it was the fair thing to do to put Tom [Brady] back in if he's OK.''

Glenn will not come to New Orleans but will be in front of his TV.

''It's going to be a little hard to watch,'' he said. ''I've been watching the stuff going on down there. I think it's given me a little more motivation to get things right and just play football again.''