Jace Glenn (40) assists on a tackle against the University of Dubuque. Photo courtesy of Rob Gomez.

Since childhood, Jace Glenn knew he wanted to play football at a high level. When the Dysart resident put on his pads as a Union Knight for three varsity seasons, that was only the beginning of his career in football. He would finish his Union career with 165 total tackles and see the Knights off to the UNI Dome twice during his upperclassmen years. Grit, toughness and a love of the sport led to going from a Union Knight to a Wartburg Knight after graduation.

“Excelling at football in high school led me to pursue college football,” Glenn said. “Coming from a winning tradition like Union, I wanted to be a part of something similar and Wartburg offered that. Wartburg football’s foundation is built on toughness and doing things the right way which is the same way Union’s program is.”

In his first year in Waverly, Glenn made his on the varsity special teams while taking the opportunity to learn the upperclassmen in his position group. The linebacker finished his freshman season with 12 total tackles and gained valuable experience at the collegiate level.

“I was blessed to have two seniors to look up to who taught me what it takes to be a part of a program like Wartburg,” Glenn said. “Having great mentoring in my first year helped me improve in the offseason and also helped me find a role on the defensive side of the ball this year.”

Wartburg is currently off to a 7-0 start this season and Glenn has found reps on defense as an outside linebacker, posting 24 total tackles thus far. The Knights are currently in first place in the American Rivers Conference and are included in multiple national rankings.

“This year has been quite different than my first in a good way,” Glenn said. “Rather than just playing special teams, I am on the defensive side of the ball. I am enjoying this year and am excited to be competing for a conference championship. On the defense, we have seven sophomores in the rotation, which makes playing much more enjoyable since these are the guys I’ve been with since coming into camp as freshman.”

Because of the depth of the young position group, Glenn is currently rotating every series at weak side linebacker with another sophomore, so reps on the field are lessened. Yet, the rotation has allowed Glenn to “stay fresh and perform at the best of my ability when I get my chance to” and is happy to do what needs to be done to win.

“Being a part of a winning tradition is all about being unselfish, so it is important for me to embrace the role I have now to help us win a conference championship,” Glenn said.

The sophomore continues to work on tackling better in space and in pass coverage. Wartburg has a bye this week, allowing for Glenn to focus in practice on the fundamentals as he plays his part in fighting for a conference title. However, Glenn also does his best to keep up with his alma mater’s season under a new head coach.

“I got to catch the homecoming game against Vinton-Shellsburg and thought they looked solid,” Glenn said. “They have a lot of younger guys in varsity roles which is very promising for the future. My message to them is to just leave everything they got out on the field for their last game. Especially for the seniors, take it all in because most of you will never get to play another snap of football again after this season. Playing football is such a small part of our life, but it is one of the greatest. Walk off the field without having a doubt in your mind you gave it your all and you gave it for a worthy cause.”

Glenn is currently studying business with a focus in management. He hopes to get into some field of sales that offer “the same competitive opportunity athletics have offered for me for years.” While not on the field, Glenn is involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Dance Marathon. Glenn hopes to coach football at the high school level in the future.