Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area had a fantastic conversation with San Francisco 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey during this week's 49ers Insider Podcast. This is a special week for the offensive lineman because he is going against his older cousin, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, for the first time.
The two teams will square off on Sunday in front of a Levi's Stadium crowd. The 49ers enter the game with an 11-2 record while the Falcons are 4-9. Because it is a home game for McGlinchey, he is hosting several family members for the debut matchup between him and his cousin.
Growing up, Ryan's involvement in football was a big reason why McGlinchey pursued playing the sport himself. Of course, he didn't always dream about being an offensive lineman.
"I wanted to play quarterback my whole life," McGlinchey told Maiocco. "I wanted to play quarterback because all my cousins did. It's kind of funny, my extended family had like seven or eight, maybe even nine guys play college football, and four of them played Division I. I was the only non-quarterback of that group, so when I was growing up, and we would all work out together, I was just the extra set of hands that they would all throw to."
It was Ryan's brother who convinced McGlinchey to pursue another position during Ryan's draft. He told his cousin that they met Jake Long, the No. 1 overall pick that year, and that if McGlinchey worked hard enough, he could look like Long in 10 years.
"My cousin, I think, called the right shot, and I put my hand in the dirt, and everything worked out from there," McGlinchey added.
You can listen to the entire conversation with McGlinchey below. It begins at about the 10-minute mark.