Glenn Earl
Encyclopedia
Glenn Earl is a former American football
safety in the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Houston Texans
in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He grew up in Lisle, Illinois
and attended Naperville North High School
. He then played college football
at Notre Dame
.
as a wide receiver
before switching to safety after his redshirt
freshman season. He played in 38 games for the Irish
with 24 starts and amassed 169 career tackle
s, three forced fumble
s, five fumble recoveries, four INTs
, four sacks
and 3 blocked kicks.
. He made 31 starts through his first three seasons and had a career-high 74 tackles in 2006. Earl was knocked out with a torn Lisfranc ligament
in his foot during the 2007 preseason in a game at Reliant Stadium. After four years in Houston, Earl was released on August 29, 2008.
on March 20, 2009.
July 28 Glenn Earl retired
"Earl considered his future over the course of the past week before making it official Tuesday.
"He's decided to hang it up," Craig Domann said. "He's been dealing with some injuries since he came out of Notre Dame. I think he felt like it was time to move on."
Earl's most recent major injury came in 2006 during preseason when Bears running back Cedric Benson ran him over in a game at Houston.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
safety in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He grew up in Lisle, Illinois
Lisle, Illinois
Lisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,930 at the 2011 census, and estimated to be 23,135 as of 2008. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor...
and attended Naperville North High School
Naperville North High School
Naperville North High School is a public four-year comprehensive high school located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and Mill Street in the northern-central part of Naperville, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
. He then played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
.
College career
He began his career at the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
as a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
before switching to safety after his redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshman season. He played in 38 games for the Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
with 24 starts and amassed 169 career tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s, three forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s, five fumble recoveries, four INTs
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
, four sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
and 3 blocked kicks.
Houston Texans
Earl was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He made 31 starts through his first three seasons and had a career-high 74 tackles in 2006. Earl was knocked out with a torn Lisfranc ligament
Lisfranc ligament
The lisfranc ligament is a ligament which connects the base of the medial cuneiform to the base of the 2nd metatarsal. In 20% of people there are two bands of this ligament . It is injured or disrupted in the lisfranc fracture.-Eponym:...
in his foot during the 2007 preseason in a game at Reliant Stadium. After four years in Houston, Earl was released on August 29, 2008.
Chicago Bears
After two seasons away from the NFL recovering from his foot injury, Earl agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on March 20, 2009.
July 28 Glenn Earl retired
"Earl considered his future over the course of the past week before making it official Tuesday.
"He's decided to hang it up," Craig Domann said. "He's been dealing with some injuries since he came out of Notre Dame. I think he felt like it was time to move on."
Earl's most recent major injury came in 2006 during preseason when Bears running back Cedric Benson ran him over in a game at Houston.