La'Roi Glover
A defensive tackle who terrorized quarterbacks for over a decade, earning six straight Pro Bowl nods as the heart of defensive lines in New Orleans and Dallas.
Born 1974 (age 52)·American football player and coach·Birthday: July 4·Generation X
Biography
La'Roi Glover emerged from San Diego State not as a top draft pick, but as a relentless force who would define interior defensive line play in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His breakout came with the New Orleans Saints, where his explosive first step and powerful hands made him a nightmare for offensive guards. In 2000, he led the entire NFL with 17 sacks—a staggering number for a tackle—cementing his reputation. His prime years were marked by remarkable consistency, resulting in a string of Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. After a stellar stint with the Dallas Cowboys, Glover finished his career with the Rams before transitioning seamlessly into coaching, imparting the technical mastery and work ethic that fueled his own ascent to younger generations of linemen.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
La'Roi was born in 1974, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When La'Roi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1974
#1 Movie
The Towering Inferno
Best Picture
The Godfather Part II
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
La'Roi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1974Born
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1979Started school
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1987Became a teenager
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Could drive
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1992Could vote
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Turned 21
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2004Turned 30
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 40
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 50
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 52 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the entire NFL with 17 sacks in the 2000 season while playing defensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints.
- Selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls from 2000 through 2005.
- Earned first-team All-Pro honors four times (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003).
- Recorded 83.5 career sacks over 13 seasons, an exceptional total for an interior lineman.
Did You Know?
He was a third-round draft pick by the Oakland Raiders in 1996 but played his first NFL season with the Amsterdam Admirals of the World League.
Glover was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame in 2013.
He served as the defensive line coach for the Los Angeles Rams from 2016 to 2020.
“My job is to disrupt the play, to get in that backfield.”
