Saturday football has a certain kind of energy. The stadium fills, the lights come on, and somewhere in the crowd, stories are being written about grit, heart and home.
Joe Glenn knows that feeling better than most. For 42 years, college football was Joe’s life. He coached across the country, living in South Dakota, Arizona, Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, Wyoming, and Idaho along the way. There were wins, losses, unexpected turns, and plenty of stories.
Football gave Joe a career. It also gave him a way of life and the nickname “Joey Ball Game.”
These days, life looks a little different, but Joe is still surrounded by a team.
Joe has been a resident of Edgewood Eagle Island for almost three years. In June, he transitioned to memory care. Joe and Michele, his high school sweetheart and wife of 55 years, originally moved to Edgewood to be closer to their son and to make sure Joe would have the support he might need in the future.
When Joe talks about his “team” today, he is often talking about the Edgewood staff members who support him. He refers to the community as the “dorms,” a familiar connection to his years in college football. His team knows what Joe enjoys and looks for ways to bring those interests into his daily life. Staff talk football with him, encourage him to draw and discuss plays, and spend time throwing a football with him in the memory care neighborhood. Shelly Wright, Wellness & Enrichment Director at Edgewood Eagle Island, has worked with residents for 20 years. She says Joe is one of those truly special residents who leaves a lasting impression on your heart.
Michele sees the people around Joe as part of his coaching staff, helping create a place where he feels comfortable, safe and supported. For a man who spent his life building teams, having one around him now feels familiar.
Joe’s coaching career included plenty of memorable chapters. He coached several schools throughout the country before becoming head coach at the University of Montana and leading the team to the 2001 national championship.
Even between coaching jobs, Joe found ways to stay close to the game. At one point, he delivered beer for Zip Beverage on Fridays. He also coached a Burger King team of fifth graders. Football was never just a job. It was part of Joe’s everyday life. That is why it makes sense that coaching still finds its way into his days at Edgewood. Joe continues to draw up plays, search for new recruits and share advice with the people around him. Michele still “coaches the coach,” too. She listens to Joe’s stories, cheers him on and reminds him why God gave us two ears and one mouth. Joe even draws up plays for her because she is his assistant coach, after all.
Some people spend a lifetime learning the game. Joe has spent a lifetime teaching it.
While his disease brings challenges, there’s comfort in knowing that coaching remains such a familiar part of Joe’s world, rather than wanting to go home or searching for a particular person. Most days, Joe is focused on finding the field and recruiting new players for his team. In fact, there are times when he’s even trying to recruit other residents.
Football may have been Joe’s career, but music has always been part of his story.
Joe is one of 12 children, and music runs in the family. One of his siblings is in the Nebraska Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Joe does not read music. He plays by memory. At Edgewood, he enjoys sitting down at the keyboard and playing fight songs for staff and other residents. He also loves to sing and dance. His favorite dance partner is Michele, and his favorite place to dance is the kitchen. After 55 years of marriage, music remains one of the many ways they continue to share joy. Their favorite song is “At Last” by Etta James. When Joe plays the keyboard, it is easy to see how much music means to him.
It gives him a meaningful way to share a lifelong passion while connecting with those around him.
Joe has always been physically fit and active. Even now, he has more energy than most people, and it is easy to see when you spend time with him.
After transitioning to memory care, Joe experienced balance issues and had a few falls. He now receives physical therapy through All Care, which helps support his movement, balance and overall safety. During therapy, Joe works on exercises designed to improve his balance and reduce his risk of falling. Walking has also become an important part of his routine. He walks indoors with a stopwatch and covers about a mile each day. For Joe, therapy is not only about exercise. Maintaining his strength and mobility helps him continue participating in the activities and routines that matter to him, whether that means throwing a football, playing the keyboard or spending time with Michele.
With support from All Care and his Edgewood team, Joe can keep moving forward with greater confidence.
I’ve never had a bad day.
A Lifetime Worth Remembering
Joe has spent decades collecting stories, and his family is making sure those stories stay with them. Last year, Joe’s children received his Remento book, which turned his memories into a keepsake the family can return to for years to come. Instead of simply remembering the stories Joe has shared throughout his life, they now have a way to preserve them and pass them down to the next generation.
Some stories are too meaningful to fade. Sometimes, the best legacy is being able to hear someone’s voice and remember them exactly as they are. But Joe is not only looking backward.
There are still stories to tell, memories to make and moments to share. He is still the coach drawing up plays and recruiting a team. He is still the musician playing fight songs from memory. He is still the husband dancing in the kitchen with his high school sweetheart.
Joe has already lived a life full of memories. He just has not finished making them yet.
If you’re exploring memory care for someone you love, connect with Edgewood at info@edgewoodhealthcare.com to learn how we get to know and support the person behind those stories.
Discover how Edgewood Mitchell Assisted Living independence comes to life through personalized therapy, innovative technology, and compassionate care. Velma’s story shows how the right support helps residents stay active, confident, and connected to the things they love.
After 17 years at Edgewood, Rose and Elvin’s story shows how the right senior living options can help couples navigate changing needs, stay connected, and continue living life on their own terms.
After a serious fall changed everything, Colleen and her family found more than senior living; they found a supportive community, coordinated care, and a place she could call home again.
Cathy didn’t become a caregiver overnight it happened gradually through missed details, quiet worries, and a sudden realization about safety. Read her moving story about navigating her father’s dementia journey, finding hope at Edgewood Memory Care, and why asking for support isn’t giving up.
