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Notre Dame's Impact On Super Bowl LIV

Heading into the final quarter of Super Bowl LIV, it looked as if two former Notre Dame players were going to be crowned champions of the NFL. Instead, right tackle Mike McGlinchey and defensive tackle Sheldon Day of the San Francisco 49ers were on the wrong side of a double-digit comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs, ultimately losing 31-20.

In the locker room after the game, Day, McGlinchey and the rest of the 49ers were down.

"Some of my best friends are in this locker room,” McGlinchey said. “This is one of the hardest moments — it's probably going to be one of the hardest moments in all of our careers. But doing what we did together, like I said, I'm proud of this team. I'm proud to be a part of it."

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Two former Notre Dame players were in the Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Two former Notre Dame players were in the Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs (Associated Press).

McGlinchey and Day were both starters in the Super Bowl, with McGlinchey having a positive impact early on in the game, especially in the 49ers run game.

He helped spring rookie wide receiver Deebo Samuel free for a few big runs, including on the play below, where McGlinchey runs more than 10 yards up the field and block multiple defenders.

There were other plays where McGlinchey showed off his athleticism or ran around the defensive line to block a linebacker five yards upfield in the middle of the defense.

Day, however, struggled at times during the game. At one point, he was called out by the broadcasting crew for getting blown up by a double team, which allowed for a big Chiefs run through the middle of the 49ers defense.

He did make a big tackle later in the game, his only of the Super Bowl.

Going forward, McGlinchey is still on his rookie contract and should be part of the 49ers' organization for years to come, especially after coming on the latter half of the 2019 season.

Day on the other hand, is now an NFL Free Agent after spending the last two and a half seasons with the 49ers, and his future is uncertain. He did, however, emerge as a starter at the end of the season, getting the first-team nod in the 49ers last two regular-season games and throughout the playoffs.

Others Notre Dame Connections

Two former Notre Dame Football players had a part in the Chiefs' success, even if they weren't on the field.

Former Notre Dame tight end Alizé Mack, who graduated after the 2018 season, is a member of Kansas City's practice squad and was likely doing his best to imitate George Kittle over the past few weeks.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck has been with the franchise since the 2013 season, which is when head coach Andy Reid took over.

Heck was, of course, a co-captain on the 1988 Notre Dame National Championship team that as an offensive lineman, but played tight end early in his Fighting Irish career. He then went on to be the 15th overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1989 NFL Draft.

His career spanned 12 seasons and he started more than 160 games. Heck then went on to be a graduate assistant coach at the University of Virginia for, before finding a home in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Additionally, former 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo and current team CEO Jed York have degrees from Notre Dame.

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