Rookie’s role model now his teammate
49er McGlinchey has long admired left tackle Staley
In the likely event rookie right tackle Mike McGlinchey eventually assumes Joe Staley’s position, it sounds as if he’ll be able to thank Staley for preparing him to fill his cleats.
On Friday, after his first week of work with the 49ers’ veterans, McGlinchey, the ninth overall pick, raved about the 12th-year left tackle who is doubling as his primary mentor. The 49ers selected McGlinchey partly because Staley will turn 34 in August and has two years left on his contract.
“He’s been awesome; Joe is the best,” McGlinchey said.
“… What you see is what you get with Joe. There’s no B.S. There’s nothing behind the scenes. He’s a good person. He’s a good player, and he’s willing to help his team in any way possible.
“He’s taking me under his wing and helped me out when I need him to, answering every question I have. Meeting with me whenever I need him to. Going over film. He’s been awesome.”
McGlinchey admired Staley from a distance at Notre Dame because of their shared connection. They were both coached in college by Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, and many of Kelly’s assistants who coached Staley at Central Michigan used him as an example for McGlinchey.
“I’ve studied (Staley) for a long time on top of admiring him from afar,” McGlinchey said last month after he was drafted. “It’s going to be an unbelievable opportunity to play across from Joe.”
On Friday, McGlinchey said his early transition to the NFL has also been made smoother by his college playbook. At Notre Dame, McGlinchey played in a prostyle offense, and his position coach, Harry Hiestand, was a former NFL assistant who’s now in his second stint as the Bears’ offensive line coach.
“I was fortunate to come from a system in college, and have a coach in college, that required me to do everything the NFL does,” McGlinchey said. “So conceptually it’s all the same. It’s just a matter of getting the language down the best I can and as quickly as I can.”
McGlinchey, who has been hailed for his leadership ability, also could have the intangibles to eventually fill Staley’s role as a locker-room leader.
“I guess it’s kind of hard going from a two-time captain at one of the more prestigious schools in the country to the bottom of the totem pole again,” McGlinchey said. “But that’s the way football is. You’ve got to pay your dues. I had to pay my dues when I got to Notre Dame. … It’s a learning curve. And I’m lucky here because I haven’t met a bad guy on our team. And the O-line room, specifically, is just filled with awesome dudes.
“It’s not going to be too hard. Just keep your mouth shut, do the work you need to do, and respect will come.”