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Behind the Badge: MPD’s Glenn is shepherd to many flocks

Glenn

TEAM LEADER – Nick Glenn leads an FCA service for the Skyhawks football team. Photo submitted.

GlennUTM

BEHIND THE BADGE – When he’s not securing the halls of MHS or preaching to his congregation at Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Hickman, Kentucky, MPD Sgt. Nick Glenn is on the sidelines helping guide the UTM Skyhawks football team to success, both on the field and in life. Photo submitted.

 

Behind the Badge: MPD’s Glenn is shepherd to many flocks
By Logan Watson
As one of the Milan Police Department’s Student Resource Officers, MPD Sergeant Nick Glenn can often be seen patrolling the halls of Milan High School or stoically standing watch at Bulldogs basketball games. His job: to ensure the safety of the students and the public. To stand between his flock and the wolves that threaten it.
But what of the man behind the badge? When the danger passes, and the holster and kevlar come off at the end of the day, where does the shepherd’s watchful eye turn? The flock may not always need protection, but without the shepherd’s guidance, the sheep will stray from the path.
At home, Glenn is a loving husband and father to his wife, Tymikia, and their sons Johnathan, Nate and Terrick, but he guides many different flocks.
In addition to his duties with the MPD, Glenn is also the Senior Pastor of the Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Hickman, Kentucky. On Wednesdays and Sundays, Glenn can be found behind the pulpit. There, Glenn offers spiritual guidance with the same compassion and concern he shows the students at MHS. What many may not know, however, is that Glenn spends his Saturdays watching over yet another flock – a flock of Skyhawks.
Since 2006, Glenn has served as the Chaplain and Life Skills coach for the University of Tennessee at Martin’s Skyhawks football team alongside Head Coach Jason Simpson.
“Nick provides our players with discipline and guidance,” said Coach Simpson. “Sometimes a player will make a bad decision that we have to address. He can be tough on them, but they know at the end of the day that he has their best interest at heart.”
“As long as I can remember, I’ve had a need to understand people. Why they do what they do,” said Glenn. Growing up with a problem-solver’s mentality, Glenn could see the gaps between others and wanted to help bridge them, a trait that has served him well in his various professions. “I wanted to have a part in helping society, so I decided that if I got a chance, I was going to be that for somebody.”
College can be ground zero for bad decisions, and while he may serve as the team’s Chaplain, Glenn approaches his role with the Skyhawks in much the same way any coach would.
“I’m there to help them get back on the line,” said Glenn. “A lot of guys have never had that before. They’ve never had a person get in their face and say ‘that’s dumb’ when they make a bad decision. Some kids just need to talk about something that’s bothering them. I talk to them, then depending on the situation, I work with the coaches to get the guys the help they need.”
As Chaplain, Glenn travels with the team during the season, leading devotionals and helping keep order along with the other coaches. In the offseason, he assists in UTM’s recruiting process, speaking to prospective players and their families to help coaches get a reading on the person underneath the pads.
“Nick is a great judge of character,” said Coach Simpson. “He has an ability to read people. We are trying to get the best athletes we can get, and character is definitely a big part of that. You can’t put a price tag on Nick’s contribution to our program. It’s more important than any Offensive or Defensive Coordinator that I can hire.”
“At that age, life can hit you pretty hard. It’s like football. You’re going to get knocked down. But when you get up, you get the next play and you go as hard as you can. You just have to find a way to keep going. I tell them, I don’t care how many reps you take or how many yards you ran, I care about you. It’s all about your moral compass. If I can help 100 guys understand how to be men they’re supposed to be, then that’s 100 fathers, coaches or leaders that will be able to help others in the future.”
“Nick is an unbelievable person. When he walks into a room, you can tell that he is a spirit-led man,” said Simpson. “He’s my accountability partner. We’ve had a lot of success in the last 11 years and Nick has been a big part of that.”
Glenn’s desire to help others has shown through in all facets of his life. A pastor, a mentor, and a policeman, Glenn is truly his brother’s keeper, leading with a firm hand and a servant’s heart. Like many of his brothers in blue, Glenn proves that it is not the badge that makes the man, but the man that brings the honor to the badge.

4 Comments

  1. Angela Johnson on February 1, 2017 at 9:06 am

    I love yall

  2. John A. Gunn on February 1, 2017 at 10:34 am

    Job Well Done. ….Son in Law…….U probably never thought I would Be Congratulain U from the Land of Huskies. Connecticut University ( Uconn )…….I Am Very Proud of U…..and what U Stand For……Discipline & Respect for One Self. ….. .I Comment U …….Much Love from Connecticut. John Gunn Sr.

  3. Amina Campbell on February 2, 2017 at 4:30 am

    I am SO proud of you, Nick! You mean so much, to so many people. Congratulations!

  4. Boikanyo Kgosi on February 3, 2017 at 12:30 pm

    Wow! Truly amazing! Online in the Spirit can Man be so amazing! Only when one walks in His Father’s ways! Nick well done on so many fronts!!! May the Lord keep you and give you strength and guidance to continue in this way!!!

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