Jason Glenn embracing new role helping students in Greater Houston area

Key notes from Jason Glenn interview

• It's a blessing to be in this position. I'm the director of student outreach for Klein ISD and get to help all types of students throughout our community. I'm so glad to be able to help kids. After how I grew up and some of the things I've accomplished, I enjoy instilling it into some of these kids.
   
• In my new role, I'm doing the same thing I did as a coach. At Klein Oak, we wanted to build a program that raises great young men and women. That tradition is being continued there. Still, one day, you will not be an athlete. So after you're not an athlete, what are you? We preach that to our kids.
   
• The ordeal with me going viral was just an accident. Joe Gleason of ABC13 was just out there to film our strength and conditioning. He was filming, and there was something I wanted to tell my kids. I looked at them in their faces, and I wanted to talk about those things. We put some time into those social issues. It's something our community, state and country need to talk about it. I really didn't think it was a big deal because that's how I talk to them all the time. I try to be genuine with them. I was translating something much bigger than me.
   
• Our country has improved over the last 13 months. One of the things I've noticed is that people aren't just walking past the elephant in the room anymore. People are noticing it and letting other people notice it too. Whether it's race or politics, we're conversating about things we need to conversate about. Whether I agree or not, if I can understand where you're coming from and have that conversation, I can still respect you. That's where we need to get to.
   
• My superintendent is an Aggie, and we went to school around the same time. Some of the school board members are Aggies too. So now that I'm not coaching and have more time, I will get really entrenched in what's going on in College Station.
   
• I believe Texas A&M is going to have a great year. It's not because of the hype. A couple of years ago, I went to Vail, Colorado, for a 12th Man Foundation event, and I met some of the current players there. Their mindset is so serious. They understand they have a chance to do something seriously special. They're all hooked up and ready to go. When you have leaders like that, you can do something special. Maybe something Texas A&M hasn't done since the 1930s.
   
• Coach Fisher and his staff have done a great job of recruiting athletes that fit the culture. Fitting the culture is the most important thing. Fisher is doing it with different types of kids with different backgrounds. You need a Leon O'Neal on your team. Everyone fits different roles, but they all fit the culture.
   
• RC Slocum was a dad to a lot of us. My brother and I were celebrating his birthday last week, and we were talking about coach Slocum. For us to be 40 or 50 years old and still talking about coach Slocum really shows what he has done for us and meant for us. When we needed a man to be there for us, he was always there for us. He's still there for us. I had a conversation with him about three weeks ago for about two hours. None one bit of that conversation was about football. It was about life. That's what he's all about.