Mike McGlinchey ’17

Offensive Tackle, Denver Broncos

Major: Film, Television, and Theatre

Celebrating autistic individuals and advocating for their rights and needs

Mike McGlinchey ’17, now entering his seventh NFL season, may be most known for his success on a football field. Off it, he’s a tireless advocate for people with autism and special needs, a passion born when his younger brother Jimmy was diagnosed with autism at age two.

While with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, McGlinchey served as the co-chair for the Silicon Valley Bocce Bash, an event that brings together Bay Area professional athletes with Special Olympics athletes and members of the community. Featuring bocce ball and cornhole tournaments, food and drinks, and an auction of 49ers memorabilia, the event provided an unforgettable experience for Special Olympians.

McGlinchey also partnered with Levi’s for several years on a holiday Shop with a Player event in San Francisco, spending a day shopping individuals from Autism Speaks and Football Camp for the Stars, which introduces kids with Down Syndrome to football.

The “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign is part of an annual collaboration between the NFL and players, which gives players an opportunity to represent their respective causes with custom-designed cleats in an effort to raise awareness and funding. During his first three seasons with the 49ers, Mike dedicated his shoes to Autism Speaks in honor of his brother.

A two-time captain and first-team All-American at Notre Dame, McGlinchey was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. An All-Rookie pick by PFWA in 2018, he helped the 49ers reach Super Bowl LIV in 2019 and multiple NFC Championship games. He’s now entering his second season with the Denver Broncos, where he started all 16 games he played in 2023.

McGlinchey and his wife, Brooke, welcomed their first child, Michael Sean “Tripp” McGlinchey III, on August 4, 2024.