Tampa rookie Mike Glennon played his college ball with Eagles safety Earl Wolff.

Old college teammates set to meet

Imagine a rookie standing up and breaking down film for the rest of the team.

It probably would never happen in an NFL meeting room, but that’s exactly the position Earl Wolff could envision. The rookie safety has the book on Tampa Bay quarterback Mike Glennon, whom he spent almost five years with at N.C. State.

“I thought about it today, honestly,” Wolff said, of stepping up in film study. “Coaches haven’t asked me anything, most guys [in the locker room] didn’t even know.”

Case in point, when linebacker Mychal Kendricks was informed of Wolff’s relationship with Glennon.

“OK, I didn’t even know that,” Kendricks said.

Ask Wolff if he has an advantage in the matchup this week, he doesn’t hesitate.

“I think advantage to me, honestly. I just think it’s real difficult being a rookie quarterback, no matter what the situation is because it’s the most difficult position to play,” he said. “I know what type of quarterback he is, in the back of my head, I know him well, real well, because I played with him every day.”

Wolff considers Glennon a pretty close friend. The two first met at a football camp at N.C. State when they were both seniors in high school. They have kept in touch since moving on to the NFL, although Wolff has yet to dial up his old pal as the Eagles prepare to face Glennon’s Buccaneers Sunday. Wolff is shooting for a reunion sometime Saturday, when the Eagles get to Florida.

“I’m probably going to be the bigger man, and step up and give him a call,” joked Wolff.

Wolff admitted that he’ll probably talk a little trash. After all, friends know how to push each other’s buttons.

“I’m going to ride him a little bit,” Wolff said. “I feel like any quarterback, if you rattle him a little bit, that’s what you’re trying to do, to get him out of sync. One thing about Mike is, once he’s on fire, he’s on fire. We’re going to have to get him off-sync.”

Of course, it’s all fun and games. Wolff has all the respect in the world for his former college teammate. He thought Glennon would have been a much higher pick in April’s draft — he went in the third round (73rd overall) — if the Wolfpack (7-6) had finished with a better record.

“I thought he had the strongest arm in the draft,” Wolff said. “He kind of reminds me of Alex Smith, with a stronger arm. Because he plays smart and he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, but he can make those [deep] throws in situations.”

Wolff said Glennon likes to play it safe, preferring to throw slants and out routes, instead of chucking it down the field. However, Wolff plans to be in the vicinity for wherever Glennon heaves it. He would like nothing better to intercept a pass and remind him about it for the rest of his career.

“That would be perfect,” Wolff smiled. “Every time I see him, that would be the first thing I say.”