Detroit Lions: Glover Quin left a lasting legacy in Motown

While the Detroit Lions parted ways with their former Pro Bowl safety earlier this week, there’s no doubt that Glover Quin left his mark in Motown.

Over the past six years, there aren’t a lot of defensive players who made as much of an impact for the Detroit Lions as safety Glover Quin has. Even though the Lions cut the former Pro Bowler earlier this week, it’s clear that Quin was a consistent contributor on a rather inconsistent defense, who has also taught the young safeties around him the right way to play the game.

While the team did cut Quin to save $6.25 million in salary cap room, his impact for this team on the field and in the locker room far exceeds that number. He started all 96 games he participated in his six seasons with the Lions, and rarely came off the field until last season. Before last season, Quin was on the field for 97 percent of defensive snaps, which any football players knows is a super hard thing to do.

The now former Lion put up a lot of impressive statistics in Detroit, totaling more than 300 tackles and 19 interceptions in his half-decade in Detroit. The best statistical year in his career came in 2014, when he tied to lead the league with seven interceptions and earned a Pro Bowl bid, as one of the leaders of a top-10 defense that led the Lions to a playoff appearance.

Quin’s impact for the team goes far beyond his play on the field, as he was a grand professional who helped develop the young secondary in Detroit into the strong secondary that they are. The tips he and former Lion defensive back Rashean Mathis gave cornerback Darius Slay helped him develop into one of the league’s best corners today.

The veteran’s name was never in headlines about scandals, scuffles with teammates, and run-ins with the law. He was a mature, stoic responsible professional, who would have been more praised league-wide if he played in a bigger market like New York or Chicago.

Perhaps the number one thing that will be remembered about the Quin that makes him distinct his how much the Detroit media loves him.

Every Wednesday in the Lions’ locker room was referred to as ‘Quinsday’, where the veteran would stand in front of his locker room for 45 minutes and just speak his mind, helping the writers anyway he could. A lot of athletes treat the media like a burden to deal with, but Quin was never one of those players, as he was always accommodating to those journalists and helped them in any way that he could.

With how much Quinn impacted Detroit, it’s not crazy to think that he should be inducted into the Lions’ “Ring of Honor”, as he played at a Pro Bowl for a stretch that saw the Lions earn two playoff appearances, partially thank to a defensive backfield led by the iron man himself.

Even though it’s clear that Quin lost a step in 2018, the admiration from his teammates, media members and Lions’ fans is well deserved. He has helped develop young players such as cornerback Nevin Lawson and safety Quandre Diggs, who could be corner pieces of the Lions’ defense for years to come.

So although you were not seen as a star safety by the national NFL media, thank you Glover Quin, for being a professional, helping young players, and being one of the few consistent players in an organization chock full of inconsistencies.