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When he was signed as an undrafted free agent and entered training camp as the Oakland Raiders’ fourth-string quarterback, it was unimaginable that he would even land on an active roster. But just 10 games into his rookie season, quarterback Matt McGloin will get his first NFL start for the Raiders on Sunday against the Houston Texans.
The Raiders announced Saturday that incumbent starter Terrelle Pryor has been ruled out for their Week 11 match-up against the Texans due to a sprained right knee. With former second-string QB Matt Flynn having been released, McGloin is the only remaining option at quarterback. He is familiar with the offense and experienced playing with the first-team group.
McGloin’s quick ascendance from unlikely pro football player to NFL starter is characteristic of the Pennsylvania native’s football career, having overcome numerous obstacles since enrolling at Penn State in 2009.
A three-sport athlete at West Scranton High School, McGloin joined the Nittany Lions football team as a walk-on. After sitting behind starter Daryll Clark for his freshman year, he was involved in a three-quarterback battle for the starting job in 2010. He eventually lost out to freshman Rob Bolden and sophomore Kevin Newsome.
For the next two seasons, McGloin was embroiled in a quarterback controversy with Bolden. Former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno struggled to settle on a starter from game to game and, though McGloin performed well when he saw playing time (such as a 250-yard performance in a win over Michigan), the Nittany Lions continued to favor Bolden.
McGloin was named the starter against Ohio State in early November and remained in that role for the rest of 2010. However, once the 2011 season rolled around, Paterno and company again handed the reins to Bolden despite going 4-3 with McGloin behind center.
McGloin did appear in all 12 regular-season games for Penn State but started just five. Essentially splitting carries with Bolden, it had to be difficult to get comfortable running the offense. The ongoing scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky certainly affected the team throughout the year and the firing of their legendary head coach, Paterno, shook the school’s very foundation. Still, the team managed to finish 9-3.
And then McGloin’s career finally got the boost it needed — and deserved.
“I kinda have been through it all,” McGloin told Silver & Black Pride’s Levi Damien this summer. “At Penn State I was kind of in a tough situation there early on where I was just really overlooked because I wasn’t a four or five star recruit even though I was better than the kids they brought in.
“They’d start one kid and then bring me in the play the rest of game,” McGloin continued. “So, it was tough on you mentally but I just continued working and outwork and compete against those guys and once coach [Bill] O’Brien came in and named me the starter immediately after spring practice, the other guys transferred and we ended up having a phenomenal year.”
With renowned quarterback guru Bill O’Brien at the helm for Penn State, McGloin had a breakout year as a senior. He completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 3,271 yards, 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions while guiding the embattled Nittany Lions to an 8-4 record.
Despite his success — which showed that with proper coaching he certainly had some potential — McGloin was widely projected to go undrafted in the 2013 NFL draft… which he did.
Though CBS Sports’ Rob Rang credited McGloin for his quick release, reads down the field and good footwork, he was knocked for his size (just 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds) and arm strength. DraftInsider.net echoed Rang’s sentiments, but noted that he may be a good fit in a West Coast offense, which the Raiders currently run in some form.
As intelligent as McGloin is, no one could have predicted he’d be the starter just 10 games into his NFL career. Heck, he was never supposed to even make a major college roster. And even his own parents were surprised by their son’s quick rise from undrafted free agent to active roster member back in September.
“It’s surreal to me this is actually happening,” Paul McGloin told the Patriot-News. “My son’s a quarterback in the National Football League.”
Two months later, McGloin is the starting quarterback in Oakland. He out-shined fourth-round selection Tyler Wilson (currently on the practice squad) and $20.5-million backup Matt Flynn (now a member of the Green Bay Packers — his third team this season). If he has a superb outing against the Texans, it’s possible he could usurp Pryor’s seat as the current starter as well.
Raiders’ head coach Dennis Allen was not willing to go that far, but he did speak highly of the 23-year-old gunslinger.
“He just has a little bit of that ‘it’ factor about playing the quarterback position,” Allen told reporters this week. “He’s got a lot of confidence in himself and we’ve got a lot of confidence in him.”
If McGloin’s track record is any indication, Allen and his staff should have confidence in the former Penn State star. The question is, will he continue to overachieve and overcome the game’s challenges? Or will his deficiencies finally get the better of him at the highest level?
Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. All quotes were acquired first hand or via team press releases unless otherwise noted. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.
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