Leaving a legacy: Mike McGlinchey cements place as leader fo

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Football and family.

For Mike McGlinchey,womens Clint Boling Jersey, the two go hand-in-hand. The two-time Notre Dame captain and graduate student was raised with football in his blood — he followed his cousin and current Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan through the ranks at Penn Charter in Philadelphia before joining the Irish ranks. [url=http://www.broncoscheapauthenticstore.com/c.j.-anderson-jersey-cheap ]womens C.J. Anderson Jersey[/url]

I’ve always had an attraction to Notre Dame,“Football is everything to me; it’s everything I love,womens George Iloka Jersey,” McGlinchey said. “I’ve put everything I have into it, and I was an Irish Catholic kid growing up it was kind of like the Mecca of football and school and all that kind of stuff when I was growing up.

“ … When I got the offer, it was kind of a no-brainer when I visited. Notre Dame’s awesome. I fell in love with it the first time I was out here, and it’s lived up to every folklore it has ever had.”Authentic Demaryius Thomas Jersey,'

And now as his storied Irish career comes to a close,Authentic Emmanuel Sanders Jersey McGlinchey has forged his place in the family of Notre Dame football greats.

But it wasn’t a straight path to stardom for the left tackle. While highly recruited out of high school as an offensive lineman, and still had to develop his technique as a blocker after playing a number of positions in high school, the 6-foot-8-inch McGlinchey was under 300 pounds when he came in his freshman year, including tight end.

The Philadelphia native didn’t see the field his freshman season and was redshirted,womens Matt Paradis Jersey>, but that didn’t stop him from growing from the experience, something McGlinchey credits to the wisdom of some of his mentors on the line at the time.

“That’s kind of what football is, so I had to work in the weight room a lot harder than most people did, it’s always a game that presents a lot of challenges and a lot of struggle no matter how much experience you have,” he said. “Early on, I had to earn my place.Authentic Aqib Talib Jersey, I came in at like 265-270 pounds and was a thin, tall guy and wasn’t strong enough to play, and learned my way under [former Irish offensive linemen] Zack [Martin] and Ronnie [Stanley] and all those guys that came before me.”

before earning his first start in the Music City Bowl against then-No. 22 LSU. McGlinchey and the Irish won that game and haven’t looked back,His sophomore year,womens Vincent Rey Jersey McGlinchey appeared in all 13 games, mostly with special teams, as the tackle has started all 35 games for Notre Dame since.

As he has become a staple for Notre Dame, including current NFL standouts Zack Martin and Ronnie Stanley, McGlinchey credits his relationship with some of the older guys on the line, as one of the principal factors in his development both on and off the field over his career.'Authentic Clint Boling Jersey,

“Those guys kind of laid the groundwork for me when I got here, because that’s what those guys did. Those guys were the best,” McGlinchey said. “I had one year with Zach [Martin] and Chris [Watt] and then Ronnie and Nick [Martin] for three. Those guys just showed me the way, showed me how to work, showed me how to play, showed me how to go about my business the right way and how to try and make that easier for everybody on the rest of the team, and I hope I’ve kind of led that legacy on for the younger guys on our team and that’s all you can really hope for.”

and was named a second team All-American. While projected as a first-round pick in last April’s draft,,After playing his junior season at right tackle, McGlinchey was named a captain forNotre Dame and moved to left tackle as a seAuthentic George Iloka Jersey where he was one of the bright spots for the Irish in an overwhelmingly disappointing season, McGlinchey had no reservations about his desire to return to Notre Dame for a fifth and final season.

“I think individually he said on the decision. “It’s about being honest with yourself with what’s on film and [offensive line] coach [Harry] Hiestand and I are definitely that about my game and with everybody else’s gameAuthentic Chris Harris Jr Jersey<,I had a lot left to work on, so individually I felt like I wasn’t ready to move on quite yet.

“I had a lot of things that I wanted to improve before I got to the league,womens Chris Harris Jr Jersey, and as a team we kind of stunk last year, and I wasn’t ready to leave Notre Dame in the place that it was in. I love this place and I hated to see where we were last year and needed to bring it back.”

But furthering his on-the-field development wasn’t the only reason McGlinchey decided to return — the preseason All-American also stressed his growth as a leader this season as one of the biggest areas of personal improvement.

“You learn what not to do, and trust yourself,Authentic C.J. Anderson Jerseywhen you struggle so badly like that,” McGlinchey said on his experiences being a captain last season. “You test things out and see what works and how to deal with your teammates, and how to deal with different personalities, and I think that you have to grow and trust your teammates, and not spread yourself too thin.

and I know where I need to speak up as a leader. Authentic Matt Paradis Jersey,I think I was forcing the issue a little bit last year,“I think that’s one of the areas I’ve really grown throughout the last year, in that I know what to focus on, who to help me out with it, and that’s where I think I grew up the most.”

And while being a leader to the whole team has certainly been an important facet of McGlinchey’s career, his relationship with his fellow offensive lineman is the thing he treasures the most.womens Demaryius Thomas Jersey,”

“That’s the best part of playing at Notre Dame, we always are with each other, is the camaraderie that I have with the guys in the locker room, especially with the O-line, we do everything together — eat, whatever you want, party, sleep, no matter what,” he said. '>Authentic Vincent Rey Jersey,“That’s what coach Hiestand has kind of worked on since he’s been here and that’s been the way our culture is.

“No matter what age you are, it’s just about being a brother to each other and taking care of one another and helping out anywhere you can.,womens Emmanuel Sanders Jersey, I think that’s where the biggest blessing has been, whether you’re a fifth-year senior like me or a true freshman like Rob Hainsey and all those guys, playing at Notre Dame.”

As his storied career draws to a close, the graduate student is ultimately most thankful for the friendships he’s forged during his time with the Irish, McGlinchey has a lot of gratitude for the opportunities he’s been giving at Notre Dame. But beyond football, both on and off the field.womens Aqib Talib Jersey,'