Drew Bledsoe Says Terry Glenn Was the Best WR He Ever Threw To

Former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe called his former teammate Terry Glenn—who died Monday following a car crash—the best wide receiver he ever threw to in his playing career.

"I would apologize to the likes of [Eric] Moulds, Keyshawn [Johnson], Troy Brown, Peerless [Price], [Terrell Owens], etc., but there’s no need," he wrote in an article for The MMQB. "They know it too. If confirmation is needed, just ask the guys who tried to cover Terry. They’ll tell you."

"Terry had the explosiveness of a speed receiver but the intelligence and craft of a possession receiver," he also wrote. "His top end was as high as anyone, but he was a technician like Troy Brown or Wes Welker. He knew how to get himself open. Any time I threw the ball his way there was separation, which is a quarterback’s dream."

Bledsoe acknowledged that Glenn's history of missed practices, injuries, suspensions and off-field concerns were frustrating, though as Bledsoe got to know Glenn better, he came to better understand his teammate's demeanor. 

"My buddy grew up in the worst of circumstances," Bledsoe wrote. "When I finally took the time to try to see the world through his eyes he told me, 'Everyone I ever loved or trusted either betrayed me or died. I decided I just wouldn’t let anyone in so I wouldn't get hurt anymore.' That recognition ultimately allowed him to slowly come around and learn to love and trust people."

Glenn played 12 seasons in the NFL, including stints with the New England Patriots (1996-01), Green Bay Packers (2002) and Dallas Cowboys (2003-07). He accumulated 593 receptions for 8,823 yards and 44 touchdowns, making the Pro Bowl in 1999.

He also starred in college for Ohio State, winning the Biletnikoff Award as college football's best wide receiver in 1995 after catching 64 passes for 1,411 yards and 17 touchdowns.

He was the No. 7 overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft. Bledsoe and Glenn intersected during Glenn's entire tenure in New England and later in the 2005-06 seasons in Dallas.

"When we got to play together again with the Cowboys in Dallas, Terry Glenn had changed," Bledsoe wrote. "He was more accepting. More open. We got to spend some time together away from football. We’d stop off on the way home some days and talk. Just the two of us."

Bledsoe added, "We didn’t talk enough over the past decade but kept in touch. I could tell that Terry was finally in a place where he was happy. He was working to help people with his foundation and making an impact on the world. His passing is a true tragedy. He seemed to have figured things out and was headed for a fulfilled life."