Troy’s Taylor gets the job done with Glusman out

TROY — Troy kicker Michael Taylor was content watching his friend Sam Glusman have a successful senior year at the same position.

But a lingering thigh injury has kept Glusman out for the past three weeks and it’s uncertain when — or if — Glusman will be able to come back. That puts the sophomore Taylor, who has handled kickoffs since last year, in a bigger spotlight.

So far he’s delivered, hitting all 16 of his extra point tries and all three field goals.

“I feel like I’ve done all right,” Taylor said.

“Luckily I haven’t missed a kick yet, knock on wood, but I’m just trying not to mess up.”

Special teams coach Shayne Wasden said Monday that he’d be surprised if Glusman is able to come back for Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against UL-Monroe.

“He seems to be getting better, but every time he goes out and tries to kick, he aggravates his injury,” Wasden said. “He was trying to kick at half speed (last week), it started hurting him again.”

Glusman, a former walk-on, won the placekicking job last fall and was a second-team all-conference selection. He had been off to a good start this year, hitting 7-of-9 field goals and 8-of-8 extra points.

Neither Wasden or head coach Larry Blakeney would fully commit to Taylor’s status as the top placekicker for the rest of the season, but both seemed concerned about Glusman’s ability to come back healthy.

“I think he’ll be back (at some point),” Blakeney said. “It’s getting to a point to where it’s a difficult situation. We’ve got to be very careful and don’t want to put a guy out there who’s not ready and not prepared. Mikey has been the guy who has gotten all the work and all the kicks, but Sam certainly has earned his keep over time.

“We’ll try not to get to any huge controversy if we can help it. The main thing is getting three points or one point up there every time we kick it.”

Taylor has hit field goals of 26, 30 and 38 yards, but Wasden said he has a strong leg like Glusman. Taylor’s kickoffs routinely go into the end zone.

“The farther out he gets, he gets a little more inconsistent, but that’ll come with time,” Wasden said. “He’s quiet. He’s a lot quieter individual than Sam. Two different personalities for sure, but his demeanor works for him and he has a good demeanor for a kicker.”

Wasden said he thinks if Glusman comes back 100 percent, he’s got a shot to get the job back.

“You hate to punish a guy for getting injured,” Wasden said. “He was our starting kicker when he got hurt. If he comes back and he’s as consistent when he left, it’d be hard not to let him do the kicking.”

Meanwhile, Taylor is doing his job. He said Glusman has been supportive and if he’s frustrated through the injury, he’s not showing it.

“You can see it’s been frustrating, but he’s handled it well,” Taylor said. “He’s supportive of me and I’m supportive of him coming back because it’s his senior year and he’s done well. I want him to come back and have a shot at the (Lou Groza Award) because I’ve got two more years.”