returns.
No matter the cost, the Cowboys would be seemingly hard-pressed to enter this 2007 season without Glenn's experience if Newman is not ready. Now no one is eliminating Newman from consideration - including Newman, Phillips and team owner Jerry Jones - but the team's top corner would have to improve leaps and bounds in 10 days to be ready for Sunday Night Football.
He's getting his rest, but that might not be enough. He might need that cortisone shot to shoot anti-inflammatory medicine right into the plantar fascia, the soft tissue that stretches across the bottom of your foot from the heel to the in-step. That might not seem like much since it's not the bottom of your foot.
But you should have heard Nate Newton the other morning on Talkin' Cowboys explaining how he took that same shot for the same malady during his Cowboys career. And remember, this was the big, 320-pound Nate Newton. He said the shot brought him to his knees it was so painful and that he made Cowboys trainer Jim Maurer swear he'd never tell anyone how loud he screamed when injected.
The Cowboys' six-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman also said that in about a week, his foot problems cleared up - for at least a month or so.
So while no one is giving up on Newman playing against the Giants, contingency plans must be made. And those plans at this point also must include scouring the waiver wire come Saturday afternoon, although NFL teams don't normally just cast away capable cornerbacks. The Cowboys also will drag a hook along for a possible trade if someone's fourth corner is better than their third.
But however this turns out, Glenn knows he can sleep well at night. He's worked hard to earn a 14th season, and even in training camp, only missed like two practices with a sore knee, never once taking one of those "veteran" days off nor growing indignant over having to play with all the kids Thursday night.
"I talked to Jerry Rice about that one time," Glenn said of being a veteran needing to prove yourself to a new coaching staff. "He felt like that was a lack of respect. But I don't look at it that way. (The coaches) have to protect themselves. Just like with my kids, I'm the coach in charge and I have to protect them the best I can.
"I know you have to be careful because you can't go out there and makes mistakes like you could with a coach you know."
Like with former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, whom he played for with the Jets and was responsible to bringing him to Dallas when he was cut by the Houston Texans in the spring of 2005. Parcells trusted Glenn. But as Parcells would often say about veteran players, "At some point they have to show you" they still got it.
We'll soon find out if Glenn provided enough proof to a new coaching staff Thursday night to gain one of those coveted 53 roster spots come Saturday.
"If it's me to come out and replace T-New, cool," Glenn said.
If not, no hard feelings, to the point there was Glenn trying to help some of those younger corners along - I mean trying to help guys who very well could cost him a job on this team. Talk about selfless. Talk about a real pro.
"This league is not about you," Glenn said, "especially if you've been this fortunate to play this long. You owe something back. Before my time is up, who knows, it could be this year, I tell (the young corners) to use me as much as much as you can, and I feel like it's my responsibility to do that
"It's time for me to give back what I've been given," and Glenn went on to name one DB after another who helped him when he first entered the league, "and I only feel like that's right."
Maybe right and definitely amazing.
But if nothing else, the old pro showed em' here Thursday night he still had a little something left.
