Maryland's Swiss Army Knife

Ahead of Maryland’s matchup against Indiana last season, head football coach Michael Locksley referred to Glendon Miller as the “Poster child for what I hope this program can become for players.”

The 6-foot-2, 206-pound defensive back broke out in 2023, but his growth wasn’t limited to the gridiron. Others, including Miller himself, acknowledged his maturity as a person, student-athlete, and teammate. His development off the field allowed him to unlock opportunities and find success on the field. The redshirt senior’s story serves as a reminder of Maryland football’s commitment to developing individuals into successful student-athletes and moral young men. 

“That's very special, especially from a head coach,” Miller said, reflecting on Locksley’s comments. “I’m just starting to see what he was saying when I was younger. I wasn’t really listening as much and seeing the bigger picture. Now that I'm able to see the bigger picture, I wish I would’ve listened earlier, honestly.”

Miller’s versatility was on full display in 2023. He primarily played the nickelback position as the third safety on the field alongside Beau Brade and Dante Trader Jr. He finished second on the team with four interceptions while appearing in all 13 games. 

The defensive back added 37 tackles (26 solo), a tackle for loss and eight pass deflections. He even recorded a 44-yard pick-six in the third quarter of the TransPerfect Music City Bowl. According to Pro Football Focus, Miller’s 77.7 grade in 2023 was the third-highest on the Terps’ defense. His coverage grade of 84.7 ranked second-best.   

However, Brade departed for the NFL over the offseason, setting Miller up for a more prominent role as a leader and playmaker in 2024. Miller has fulfilled that role through two games this season. The Florida native has three interceptions, tied for the nation's lead and ranking first in the Big Ten. 

Miller became the first Terp since Andreal Johnson in 1995 to have three interceptions in the first two games of a season. He even has an interception in each of his last four games (with five total) dating back to last season. He's the first Terp with a streak that long since Lewis Sanders had interceptions in five straight games from Sept. 2 to Oct. 9, 1999.

“He has already been one of the most athletic players on our defense,” Trader said. “The kid is a ball magnet. He was already one of the elite players on the defense, and now he can take the film room to the field. The X's and O's of the game definitely took his game to the next level.”

Maryland was the only Power Five school to offer Miller a scholarship. He also didn’t receive the offer until his high school football career ended. Being the only major program to take a chance on him resonated with Miller. However, his first few years in College Park were rocky, as he didn’t make a great first impression with coaches. 

Miller described his initial shortcomings as time management issues. He admitted to being late for meetings and skipping study hall sessions. Locksley was constantly in his ear, having to correct his actions. 

Miller kept trying to find a way around doing what Locksley wanted. It wasn’t working. As a result, the safety saw minimal opportunities as an underclassman despite displaying starter-level talent. But everything changed when Miller observed older players, like Nick Cross and Brade, starting over him. He saw how they carried themselves and began emulating the minute things they did, hoping to reap similar success.

“[Locksley] would always try to tell me that doing all these things would make me a better football player, and I wasn't really hearing him,” Miller said. “As I started to do all those little things, I started to make more plays at practice and in games.”

When Trader joined the defensive back room in 2021, Miller received even more motivation to buy into Locksley’s philosophy. Despite being the younger player, Trader was in front of him on the depth chart. 

It took Miller a little longer than most to get there. Still, he’s the X-factor on Maryland’s defense and a leader to the younger players experiencing similar deficiencies that he previously encountered. 

“I just started seeing the vision of what Locks was putting out there,” Miller said. “I was a kid. I wasn't really seeing the vision. But now I'm growing up and seeing the vision. I'm trying to be a leader and preach to the younger guys that the vision is real.”

Locksley praised his safety ahead of the 2024 season, comparing his versatility to three-time NFL all-pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Locksley was an assistant on Alabama’s staff when Fitzpatrick played there from 2016-17.

During that time, Fitzpatrick won the Bednarik and Thorpe awards, becoming the second award recipient in Crimson Tide history and the third player in NCAA history to win both awards in the same season. He added two First Team All-American and First Team All-SEC selections. 

"[Glen is] a Swiss Army Knife,” Locksley said. “[Fitzpatrick] played corner, played star in our defensive system, played safety. Glen is one of those guys. Of all the players in the program, he's one of the guys that I think has come the furthest. I'm talking from his off-the-field habits to becoming a leader, a guy that's graduated with a degree.”

Linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II, another teammate of Miller and a fellow Florida native, explained that Miller is the perfect example of how doing the right thing off the field leads to good things on the field.  

“When you do things right off the field, good things come to you on the field,” Hyppolite said. “That’s just how football is and how sports generally are. Glen has really done a great job of paying attention to the details, taking care of his body, watching the tape, and you see it out there. It's a combination of all those things.”

After wearing No. 13 for the last two seasons, fans may have noticed Miller switched to wearing No. 1 this season. Locksley explained that when a jersey number is available, players often text him and ask to switch. However, Locksley called Miller into his office to gift him the single digit — a stark contrast to the past office visits that resulted in Miller receiving an earful. Locksley says Miller earned the number by doing things the right way and positively impacting teammates.  

Miller is a leader and playmaker for the Terps between the white lines. As Locksley said, he’s the poster child of Maryland football — a program that develops players into successful football players and respectable young men.  

“You got to have players that have his testimony in your program because they help some of the younger guys avoid some of those pitfalls,” Locksley said. “I see Glen taking on that type of role, and the talent is there. … I think he'll be a guy that will have his name called early."