NFL All-Star defensive tackle La'Roi Glover has racked up six Pro Bowl appearances, one European championship, and an impressive collection of hard-to-get watches.
Relaxing in his St. Louis condo after a rigorous workout, the Big Glove BC has reason to be cheerful. As one of the National Football League's 1 most feared tackles, there's nothing left for him to prove. After 11 years in the NFL's front-line trenches, six of them Pro Bowl seasons, this defensive stalwart can look back at all the hurt he's delivered, and dismiss the frustrations of his early career, when the Oakland Raiders viewed him as a questionable rookie, a "lightweight," even at 6'2", 270 pounds.
"Thinking I was way too small to compete against 6'5", 300-pound guys, the Raider organization in 1996 felt I should go to Barcelona, to the Dragons in the World League [now NFL Europe] to get experience to help my preparation," recalls La'Roi Glover, 33, now in his second season with the St. Louis Rams.
"It was humbling: at San Diego State University, I had been the big fish in a small pond, and with the Raiders I routinely sat on the bench. I only played three downs in my rookie year, and finished with just two tackles. But humility is good. I learned how to train, got to play in Barcelona, and it was fun especially living in a hotel that was one block from a nude beach."
Appreciating the Mediterranean views was only part of Glover's education. This San Diego native also learned how to more effectively corral darting running backs, and perfected the art of delivering seismic, bone-rattling hits to quarterbacks. Given an opportunity to play regularly in 11 games, he became a more complete player, a force on the Barcelona Dragons' front line that helped the team win a 1996 championship.
"It was an exciting time," says Glover, delightedly puffing on a long Partagas Serie S cigar in his home only days before the start of the current NFL season. His family play room is filled with toys, and he's often interrupted by the playful antics of his four-year-old son La'Roi Jr., who seems to be a budding watch enthusiast. The little boy keeps grabbing Glover's watch, a white-gold 47-mm IWC Big Pilot's Watch with an eight-day power reserve and brown calf strap, a gift from his wife, Spring (and yes, that really is her name).
Adventures Abroad
A dedicated collector of Audemars Piguets Replica Watches, Panerais Replica Watches, and other exquisitely crafted timepieces, Glover reminisces about his European sojourn, and how this stint abroad furthered his watch studies. He says, "As a kid I always liked watches, and wanted to wear the ones my grandfather and dad owned." Glover's father, a chef in San Diego, wore Seikos and Timexes. His grandfather, by contrast, owned delicate pocket watches made of silver and gold and discouraged young La'Roi from touching them. "That was usually forbidden," Glover recalls. "He would holler at me, 'Don't play with them! They aren't toys!'"
As he got older, Glover learned to respect watches. "I got a Casio with a calculator my first year of high school," he says. "It was a very nice watch, and maybe my watch thing comes from wanting to be like my dad and grandfather. They loved watches, and my own interest increased once I started moving around Barcelona. I saw all the watch shops, and realized how people were really into all the dials and movements. Watches were a different language over there. But I'd already bought myself a Rolex Oyster Perpetual, and didn't have the money to buy anything else."
Returning to the United States with new self-confidence, Glover looked forward to a new beginning with the Raiders in 1997. But this band of renegades, owned by the ornery Al Davis and known for their fierce, smash-mouth style of play, wasn't exactly welcoming. Raiders coach Joe Bugel still felt Glover lacked the brutishness and muscular dimensions to menace opposing players, and unceremoniously released him in preseason training camp.
"I was pretty hurt at first, pretty distraught," admits Glover, who now weighs 285 pounds due to a strict training, lifting and eating regimen lots of protein supplements and no sugars and has clearly proven his early skeptics wrong. In 10 years he's amassed 377 tackles and 77 sacks, and even more remarkably, has played 159 straight games without ever sustaining an injury.
"Not too many guys can say that, so knock on wood," Glover says. "When I look back at things I was upset by the Raiders cutting me, but my agent told me not to be upset, and things did work out. One day after I was released, I was signed by the New Orleans Saints. Unlike Bugel, who liked big guys, Saints coach Mike Ditka just wanted me to make plays. He was demanding, a tough guy. But that's what I did. I made plays."
While he came to be known for his gritty, hard-nosed defensive stops, that first year in New Orleans Glover was simply a reserve, an efficient first guy off the bench in the defensive rotation.
Ditka still appreciated his quickness off the ball, and Glover became a starter in 1998. Playing tackle and nose guard positions not normally conducive to generating numerous sacks he registered 58 tackles and 10 sacks. He now modestly shrugs off those numbers, attributing them to the Saints' solid, front-four defensive core.
Growing Up on the Gridiron
It was with the Saints that Glover grew as both a player and an aficionado of watches. His mentor in the fine points of defensive line play was Wayne Martin, an 11-year vet who retired in 2000, and for whom Glover still has a deep affection.
"My grandfather and uncles played football, and they taught me never to give up, to not be a quitter," says Glover, getting up from a sofa to cradle his newborn daughter Sophia in his beefy arms. "But it was the Saints, particularly Wayne, who took me under their wing, and helped me improve my techniques. I learned my craft with them. After starting out very rough and slowly, I really perfected my defense with the Saints. Due to Wayne, who was a true team leader, I learned how to be a pro."
Once he established himself as a Saints starter, Glover's pursuit of fine timepieces began in earnest. "I got this sporty 47-mm Montblanc watch chronograph with a black dial, and a classic Hublot that had a diamond bezel," says the Big Glove, remembering a few of his first loves. "[The Hu¬blot] is the only watch I've ever gotten with diamonds."
Developing a talent that would serve him well throughout his watch collecting quests, Glover soon traded those two timepieces for a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Reveille, an impeccable rose-gold piece with moon phase, two alarms and chimes.
"This watch keyed my transitional period, going from a youngster to a man," says Glover, who eventually sold it for $20,000. "It was a very grown-up watch."
Stability with the Saints (five seasons from 1997-2001) allowed him to become an even more ardent collector, and to cultivate a passion for over-sized watches. He became widely known as the Big Glove, and in the spirit of that nickname, this genial, down-to-earth star bought his first Panerai, a stainless steel, 45-mm Luminor Marina.
" I was struck by its sporty coolness, and loved the black rubber strap," he recalls. "It was very masculine. I could wear the Panerai when I was working out. I'm a rough guy but I didn't have to worry about scratching it. The Luminor really fit my needs."
Glover's watch tastes and his uniform changed in2002. Despite two prestigious Pro Bowl selections with New Orleans, the Saints allowed him to become a free agent after the 2001 season. Enamored with the win-at-all-costs philosophy of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, as well as that team's illustrious history and rabid fan base, he signed with the Cowboys after shopping himself to several NFL teams.
"A lot of people talk bad about him, but I have nothing but good thing things to say about him," says Glover of Jones. "He's a great owner. He's like the Yankees' George Steinbrenner. He wants to win in the worst way, and will shell out the money to do it. I really felt the Cowboys would be my ticket to the playoffs."
Glover only made it to the playoffs once with the Cowboys, in a losing effort against the Carolina Panthers. But Dallas was good to him financially, and since he's long felt watches were investment-quality assets, his economic security led to even more zealous collecting, what he calls a "pricier approach."
Schwarzenegger Style
It was when he went to Dallas that Glover became fascinated with Audemars Piguet, mainly because of its masculine size and distinctive design. He sold four of his other watches to acquire a rose-gold, signature Arnold Schwarzenegger Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph what he calls the "original Arnold." A huge admirer of the actor turned California governor and of films like The Terminator, the Big Glove still treasures that watch as the "starter" piece of his A.P collection. He next acquired a black-dialed Arnold End of Days chronograph with a PVD coating, an Audemars Piguet limited edition of 500 pieces that provoked a terrific outpouring of criticism when it was released.
"When I first bought it four or so years ago there were a lot of people who criticized the watch, really bashed it," remembers Glover. "But I didn't care. I liked it right away. If it feels good to me, I don't listen to the criticism. I liked the bigger dial and the PVD stealth look. Now this is one of the hottest PVD watches on the market."
During his four-year stint with the Cowboys (2002-2006), when Glover was increasingly attracted to Audemars Piguet's celebratory Schwarzenegger editions (he owns nine Audemars watches), he earned four more selections to the Pro Bowl. From lowly, castoff status, after countless hours in the weight room, and equally demanding practice sessions, he had become part of the NFL's elite. It was only fitting that he enjoyed life, and acquired rare, choice watches.
In 2005, he purchased another favorite, the Royal Oak Offshore Terminator 3 Chronograph. This titanium, 47-mm limited edition was released concurrently with the opening of the Schwarzenegger film, Terminator 3:Rise of the Machines, and only 20 pieces were made. He also treasures the dressier Juan Pablo Montoya titanium chronograph (1,000 were produced), and the stainless-steel Royal Oak Offshore Safari, a rugged-looking chronograph that is now one of his everyday watches.
Diving Into Panerai
Glover has also expanded his all-star list of manly, statement-making watches to include several special Panerai pieces. A relatively new member of the Paneristi club, he admits, "When people said PAM 53, PAM 48, I didn't have a clue at first what they were talking about. Now I do. I've discovered you either love or hate these bigger watches, and that they immediately start a conversation. I like how they grab attention."
One of his favorite Panerais is the 1950, the 47mm., stainless-steel Luminor Marina PAM 127 that flaunts a striking transparent back and black sandwich dial similar to the original watch that was offered in 1950. Glover owns eight Panerais, and when asked to describe his other favorites, he immediately points to the PAM Radiomir 249 with a California dial (Roman numerals on the top half, Arabic numerals on the bottom), a white-gold PAM 189 chronograph, and the PAM 56, all resting in a stunning watch box.
"A prototype, left-handed Luminor in a dark gray titanium case, the PAM 56 is very rare," says Glover, noting that only 10 of these watches were made. "I love its simplicity. The watch is unique, very distinctive, and owning it gives me the feeling of belonging to an exclusive club."
A humble, unpretentious guy, Glover immediately clarifies his seemingly elitist statement. He believes that watch connoisseurship allows collectors to speak and understand a special language. They realize that timepieces have the power to spark a camaraderie, and instant conversations, between strangers.
"It's kind of cool: people notice your watch, and they immediately start talking to you," says Glover. "My wife used to think my obsession with watches was totally crazy. Wondering why I needed so many watches, she used to hate my collecting. But over time I've showed her how they appreciate as investments, and that they fascinate people. Watches have an aura that brings people together."
Now entering the twilight of his career, with fond memories of how his mentor Martin brought young players together to establish a crucial camaraderie within the Saints' defensive unit, Glover has tried to be an inspirational and supportive force to a new generation of NFL talent. Saddened by the Michael Vick affair, and other troubling instances of young players getting into trouble, Glover is counseling players, hoping to advise them how to handle their bounty of riches. He feels the NFL spotlight is too dizzying for many youngsters, that their sudden feelings of invincibility can lead them astray. "Their new money has a lot to do with all this craziness," he reasons. "Guys are just not making the right decisions. They think they're untouchable."
Often lost among the tales of fallen idols are the many positive accomplishments of NFL players. Glover established a foundation in 1999 to provide scholarships for high school and college students in San Diego. He also mentors children and provides assistance to San Diego hospitals. Appropriately for a watch lover, he was recently chosen as a Cartier Player of Excellence, an award given to athletes who exemplify consistency, passion and commitment on and off the field.
Like watch collecting, Glover's foundation is a passion, one that he could devote more time to if he retires after the end of his three-year Rams contract, as he has hinted. However, he still hopes that one more run at a Super Bowl championship is possible a shot at glory that would bring him more than a diamond-studded ring.
"I've had my eye on one watch, and if something crazy was to happen, like the Rams winning a Super Bowl, I'd try to get one," says Glover, flashing a mischievous grin. "It's the most futuristic watch known to man: the Audemars Concept that came out five years ago. Only 150 were made, so it's really hard to find, and no one is selling. It's made of submarine material, and can withstand 1,000 pounds of force. It's looks like a battleship with a huge dial, a tourbillon and a dynamograph. It has a very big price on it, so I'm scared to touch it right now. I've put my hands in my pocket a few times. I just have to wait." If you are looking to own some of the same watches for a fraction of the cost please visit http://www.timetraditions.com.
