Nate Glantz has entered unfamiliar territory – a sense of normalcy.
The 6-foot-2 senior quarterback arrived at Lindenwood last July and continued a football odyssey that spanned five schools and four states in five years.
This fall, Glantz enters an unusual situation of already knowing the playbook, the coaches and his teammates as he prepares for year two at the helm of the Lions’ offense.
“It’s been a wild ride, a crazy journey, and I’m so thankful for everybody along the way, but it’s definitely nice to return to a place that feels like home for the first time in a while,” Glantz said.
Glantz, whose father Robert played fullback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers under Tom Osborne in the early 1990’s, transferred high schools prior to his senior year and won a Nebraska state title in the same Memorial Stadium where his father played. His collegiate football journey began at Iowa Western Community College, trekked east to Iowa State and wended south to McNeese State in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Last summer, after a career-ending injury to quarterback Cole Dugger put the Lions in need of a signal caller, Glantz arrived to Lindenwood via the transfer portal in late July with the season opener set for August.
“I had gotten pretty used to (change), but trying to learn a new playbook and figure out the offense in less than a month was a lot for me,” Glantz said.
The Lions lost their first three games, with Glantz completing 56 percent of his passes with one touchdown and four interceptions, but as the season progressed, so did his comfort level. Over the next six games, Glantz accounted for 15 touchdowns and three interceptions and the Lions went 4-2 during that span.
“When he started camp, everything was brand new, and you could really see him grow throughout the season as he started to become more familiar with the offense,” Lindenwood coach Jed Stugart said.
After a lopsided loss at Tennessee Tech, the Lions rebounded to defeat nationally ranked Southeast Missouri State before losing to nationally ranked Tennessee-Martin in overtime, 33-26. The momentum of the strong finish last season has carried over to team preparations this year.
“We learned that we can play with these (teams), that we belong,” Glantz said. “We felt we left a lot out on the table, especially in that overtime loss at the end, and that gave us more motivation coming into the offseason. We know we can’t take any play or any day for granted.”
Glantz has modeled that philosophy to his teammates this fall, many of whom are new to the program.
The Lindenwood offensive line graduated four of its five starters with only senior Gavin Hulet returning from the starting unit. Glantz has made it a priority to get to know his new protectors, both on and off the field.
“After my quarterback meetings I’ll go to the O-Line meetings and learn as much as I can,” Glantz said. “As I’ve gotten older, something I’ve realized is that I have to understand what these guys are seeing and doing, not just focus on what I’m doing with everyone else.”
His favorite receiving target last season, Jeff Caldwell, transferred to the University of Cincinnati. Caldwell led the Lions with 53 receptions for 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns. The most productive wide receiver returning this season is Rockwood Summit alum Drew Krobath, who had 16 catches for 232 yards and two touchdowns.
“When you’ve got a special playmaker like Jeff Caldwell, a quarterback can start to just look for him,” Stugart said. “Sometimes, when a great player like that leaves, it opens up opportunities for others. We have other playmakers on the team and Nate has been seeing the open receiver and hitting them. His ball distribution has been very good.”
During a preseason practice, Glantz threw a 50-yard touchdown strike to junior John Anthony, then sprinted to the end zone to be the first to celebrate with him.
“You’ve got to show love to all the guys making the plays and protecting you,” Glantz said. “For me, it’s just making them understand that I have all the confidence in the world in them.”
And confidence is in abundance for Glantz, who finds himself soaring through fall camp, instead of learning on the fly.
“It’s full circle for sure. This fall camp feels like night and day difference from last year, and I think that’s what brings so much confidence to everybody else. I’m able to make the checks and make the right reads. It feels like a completely different me, for sure,” Glantz said.
Stugart sees the same dynamic in his senior quarterback.
“With him having a full grasp of the offense, he is in command, and when that position is playing well and with confidence, it filters through the offense,” Stugart said.
And in terms of personal goals for the season, Glantz is not looking for specific yard totals or completion percentages, but rather where he can take a Lindenwood program that gave him his final collegiate opportunity.
“I’m blessed to be here. I just want to help the team win and help these coaches and this program continue to build in the direction they want to go.” he said.
Lindenwood will host an open practice and Fan Fest on Saturday, Aug. 16. The open practice goes from 5-7 p.m. and Fan Fest follows from 7:15-9 p.m.
The Lions will play their season opener at St. Thomas (MN) at 6 p.m. Thursday, August 28. Lindenwood travels to Appalachian State (Sept. 6) and Charleston Southern (Sept. 13) before playing its first home game at Hunter Stadium against Stony Brook at 6 p.m. on Sept. 20.