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Saints DT
La'Roi Glover
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METAIRIE, La. — For two long seasons, an undersized La’Roi Glover handled the
dirty work in the middle of the Saints’ defense with no complaints. But in 2000, a
much-needed partner in grime arrived via free agency in the form of 320-pound Norman Hand,
and the duo has emerged as one of the NFL’s best DT tandems.
With a helping Hand clogging the middle and serving as his oversized bodyguard, Glover
was set free. Free of the double-teams he endured on almost every snap at nose tackle in
1998 and ’99, of sneaky running backs constantly diving at his legs, of holding up
the interior of the Saints’ defense with his sculpted 280 pounds.
Glover thrived with this newfound freedom. He led the NFL with 17 sacks, was named the
NFC Defensive Player of the Week a league-record three times and was voted to his first
Pro Bowl. Glover also was the runner-up to Ravens LB Ray Lewis in the NFL Defensive Player
of the Year balloting.
Suddenly, big-time defense was back in business in New Orleans under the guidance of
first-year head coach Jim Haslett. Led by Glover’s sack explosion, the surprising
Saints went 10-6, clinched the NFC West title and won the first playoff game in franchise
history.
"It was a great year," Glover said. "All of the individual things
weren’t my focus, but it’s nice. The winning has meant more than anything."
And though Glover may have been the Saints’ MVP, Hand likely ranked as the
club’s most indispensable player. His impact can’t be judged solely by his
statistics, though he did have a career-high 65 tackles to go along with three sacks.
Hand’s ability to eat up space and stuff the run — duties that rarely create
headlines or win honors — allowed his mates up front to rush the passer with abandon.
In addition to Glover’s league-leading sack total, DE Joe Johnson recorded 12
sacks and was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. Fellow DE Darren Howard had 11
sacks and was a consensus All-Rookie selection. They all credit Hand — known around
the locker room as "Heavy Lunch" — for usually having a lone blocker in
their path on the way to the quarterback.
"Without Norman, our front four couldn’t have performed like we did,"
Saints DL coach Sam Clancy said. "He covers all those guys and lets them squeeze the
pocket. I think we proved we were the best defensive line in the league this year."
It all started inside. Glover and Hand realized before training camp that they had the
potential to be special. Not long after signing a five-year, $20 million deal to join the
Saints, Hand made a play in an offseason drill that immediately caught Glover’s
attention.
"In our first minicamp, Norman chased down (Saints QB) Jeff Blake on a
rollout," Glover said. "That showed how fast he could move from sideline to
sideline, and I knew then that he wasn’t just a big guy. When I saw that, I knew
we’d have something."
Even while miscast as a run-plugging mauler the previous two seasons, Glover
established himself as one of the NFL’s best interior linemen. Though he usually
surrenders a few pounds to offensive linemen, Glover posted a team-high 18½ sacks over
that span and was voted an alternate to the Pro Bowl both years.
But it was Hand’s arrival that allowed Glover’s combination of energy,
strength and quickness to blossom. Hand’s overwhelming bulk allows him to eliminate
running lanes without really moving, and he’s strong enough to toss around a couple
of blockers. Opponents were forced to choose which defensive tackle to double, and the big
guy didn’t make the decision too difficult.
"It’s hard not to double a guy who is 320," said Haslett, though Glover
was given plenty of extra attention as well late in the season.
With Hand watching his back, Glover was able to free-lance while rushing the
quarterback. He could use his speed and instincts to attack and create havoc, rather than
spend the majority of his time fighting through traffic.
"Norman forces two people to block him, which obviously frees La’Roi up
some," Saints defensive coordinator Ron Zook said. "But La’Roi accomplished
a lot because of his work ethic and motivation. We thought they would be a good
combination, but I don’t think anybody expected Glover to get 17 sacks. That has a
lot to do with his motor."
Glover is the Saints’ strongest player, routinely bench-pressing more than 500
pounds. And at 6-foot-2, he has built-in leverage against taller offensive linemen. That
was never more apparent than against Chicago in Week Six, when Glover drove mammoth Bears
OT James "Big Cat" Williams into the backfield and dumped QB Cade McNown to the
soggy Soldier Field turf for his third sack of the day.
"That play in particular won La’Roi a lot of respect around here," Hand
said. "I know how strong La’Roi is, but to move a guy that is something like 370
pounds in pads is hard to forget. Big Cat is like 6-foot-7, and La’Roi looked like a
little doll baby next to him. But he just pushed him around and got to the
quarterback."
Glover is a rare playmaker at defensive tackle. But the Saints’ defense
wouldn’t have been nearly as tough with two La’Rois up front. Hand supplied the
brute force the Saints lacked in the trenches for the last few years, and the two tackles
complement each other’s talents.
"If we had two guys like La’Roi, we’d have both gaps in the middle wide
open," Clancy said. "Having a guy like Norman in there makes all the difference.
That’s his value. And he still gets some push back there."
Indeed, Hand supplied more of a pass rush than even the Saints expected. And when he
was bothered by injuries to both feet late in the season, the Saints’ run defense
suffered. Glover is one of the few players who can appreciate everything Hand has brought
to the Saints because Glover himself played the position.
"Norman has brought a lot to the table," Glover said. "He’s a guy
who goes out there and does his job and doesn’t complain. It’s going to take two
or three guys to block him. If you try to block him one-on-one, he’s going to end up
in the backfield."
Interestingly enough, both players took the long road to NFL success. Hand was released
by Miami before developing into an inside force with the Chargers.
Glover, originally a fifth-round pick by the Raiders in ’96, spent a season in NFL
Europe before the Saints claimed him off waivers the next year.
Now they both play for huge contracts, are recognized as being among the league’s
best at their positions and were a big part of Haslett’s success in his first year.
But neither takes anything for granted.
"I always watched Glover on film when I was in San Diego, and I knew I wanted to
play with him," Hand said. "I never knew he was this good. In the minicamps, we
kept working with each other and pushing to get better because talent doesn’t always
get the job done. And once we put on the pads, nothing changed."
Ricky Zeller covers the Saints for the Saints Digest |
