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Glover offers wealth of skills for Chartiers Valley athletics

By Eleanor Bailey almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.Net 7 min read
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Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Tyler Glover is expected to be one of the leaders of the Chartiers Valley football team this season. He is also a standout wrestler for the Colts.

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By Eleanor Bailey/ The Almanac

Tyler Glover participates in a tug-of-war battle with a teammate during pre-season training camp while younger players look on in awe. Glover is expected to be one of the top football players for Chartiers Valley as well as in the Parkway Conference.

Tyler Glover wants to be wealthy. Financially, in the future, he surely will be, but at 17, the Chartiers Valley High School senior already is rich.

“In life, Tyler will be more than fine,” said Bill Evans, who coaches Glover in wrestling. “He is the definition of class and character. He has an unbelievable amount of grit. Whether on the mat or the football field, his mentality is to compete and win. He is a true testament to hard work and a willingness to learn and grow. Because he comes from an amazing home with great family values, he has backbone and integrity. He owns every mistake.”

Glover’s only error may have been quitting sports for a time, but that might have been due to his employment. During the winter months, he shoveled driveways in the neighborhood.

“I didn’t make a ton of money but I worked four to five hours. For a little kid, that was a lot,” he said.

Glover also did yard work during the summer months.

More recently, he has gravitated to construction work. A National Technical Society member, specializing in carpentry, he helped build a mini-house on a trailer that is on the market to be sold. In addition to taking his core classes at the high school, Glover attends the Parkway West Career & Technology Center.

When he grew into a 6-2, 215-pound freshman, Glover resumed his athletic career.

“My dad talked me into it. He said ‘try out, you’re a big kid.’ So I thought I’d give (football) another shot,” said the son of Sam and Sara Glover.

Today, Glover is a highly prized linebacker that can play the end position on both sides of the line or fullback on offense. He can even punt. Glover has been a two-time all-conference honorable mention selection for the Colts.

“We call him the general. He’s a commanding presence,” said CV football coach Aaron Fitzpatrick. “He listens to us and players listen to him. He’s a great leader. He works beyond expectations and brings others with him.

“Tyler’s strong. A bull. His motor is like no other and he is deceptively fast. In open space, he is a tough target to take down. His solid play and leadership are what helps bind our group together.”

The Colts posted a 2-8 record in Fitzpatrick’s first season at the helm and while he “can’t make promises” for a championship campaign, Glover says the team has already made a turnaround.

“We’ve lost a lot of seniors but the kids coming up are better than expected. They are faster and stronger and understand the game better,” he said.

“Coach Fitzpatrick has turned the program around 180 degrees,” he added. “The difference is we are playing harder and there are more demands. There is accountability and that makes us stronger as a team, stronger as a family. When people aren’t clicking together, you can’t win. We have done a better job of bonding.”

The Colts have conducted football camps and worked with middle school players, even lifted together.

“That makes us stronger when we do things together,” Glover said.

If Glover comes through on his personal goals, the Colts should have a successful season on the football field this autumn. He aspires to gain more Division I scholarship offers – he already has drawn interest from Duquesne, Youngstown State, Kent State, Wheeling, Villanova, VMI and Valparaiso. He’d like to lead the team in tackles, targeting over 100 for his position. He also promises to catch all the passes thrown in his direction.

“While I prefer defense because I get to hit people and I’m focused on the attack and getting to who has the ball, I know in our offense they throw the ball to the tight end a good bit. So, I don’t want to drop any (passes),” he said.

“Most of all,” he said, “I want to lead the team to as many victories as I can.”

To achieve his objectives, Glover said, “I have to push every day. Do things I don’t want to do. Keep my head on straight and keep working to stay on top of my game, just like everybody else.”

This winter, Glover is expected to be on the top of the list of 215-pound wrestlers. In his first season back on the mats since fifth grade, he posted a 22-9 record and finished fifth at the section tournament. Evans predicts Glover is a sleeper to qualify for the PIAA Championships to be held in Hershey.

Evans also sees how wrestling has boosted Glover’s play on the football field.

“His toughness, heart and a white-belt mentality translate into football, but also and most importantly, the game of life,” Evans said.

“Tyler also brings that seven-second burst that is so important on the football field to the wrestling mat. Sometimes wrestlers play a little bit of mental chess out there. Tyler just goes, and he is extremely athletic and dangerous in those phone booth situations that football players specialize in. He is a really dangerous athlete, and so much fun to watch. Since coming back to the mats, he has been awesome.”

As a youth, Glover was a spectacular wrestler. In fifth grade, he was 16-1 with a pair of trophies and medals to decorate his bedroom. However, he suddenly stopped wrestling.

“No one understood why I quit but I cried after every match,” he admitted. “I couldn’t handle the adrenaline and it got to be too emotional, but then I grew up. Wrestling is a battle, kill or be killed but football is a team-loving thing. Now, I like them both the same.”

Glover noted the correlation between the two activities and how they have helped his performances.

“Wrestling has helped me in football with my footwork, agility and I feel like I have better vision and am a lot more conditioned,” he said. “The way I tackle is the way I go in for a shot. Getting through a full game of football can be as hard as a match but in wrestling, you are dying regardless.”

As any teenager his age, Glover has big plans for the future. After playing collegiately and gaining a degree in business, he entertains thoughts of a professional career.

“I do want a chance to play in the NFL,” he admitted.

He acknowledged the difficulty in attaining that ambition. “Only one percent make it,” he added. However, he’s willing to put in the work.

“Through sports, I have learned that, in life, nothing is fair. It’s better to realize that now than later so you don’t get smacked in the face. You have to work for what you get and you have to stay positive. I’m willing to outwork everybody else.”

With that attitude, Evans predicts Glover will go far.

“Tyler definitely has a future in athletics,” he said. “He is a once-in-a-decade athlete and I know that our football and wrestling programs are grateful for the opportunity to have him on our rosters. I am looking forward to seeing his journey unfold.”

Age: 17

Birthday: Dec. 6

Parents: Sara and Sam

Siblings: Chace, 13, Sophia, 10

School: Chartiers Valley

Year: Senior

Sports: Sports: Football/wrestling

Activities: National Technical Society

College: Undecided but has offers from Duquesne, Youngstown State, Kent State, Villanova, VMI, Valparaiso

Major: Businee

Food: Burger

Restaurant.: Texas Roadhouse

Color: Red

Music: Classic rock.

Group: AC/DC, Beastie Boys

Movie: Roadhouse

Favorite athlete: Andrew McCutchen

Who would play you in a movie: Patrick Swayze

Dream Destination: Caribbean

Person you would like to have dinner with: Travis Pastrana. “I don’t race (motocross) but I like what he does.

In 15 years, I will be: Wealthy

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