Catching Up with Guy McIntyre

Coming out of Thomasville, Georgia, in 1979, Guy McIntyre was considered arguably the nation’s top prospect at tight end. However, after signing with UGA, he was soon moved to the defensive line, where he became the first true freshman signee to be a starter on defense for Georgia in more than 30 years. Still, he would change positions again—back to tight end before ultimately becoming a star offensive tackle for the Bulldogs in 1982 and 1983.

A third-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers, McIntyre enjoyed a 13-season NFL career, which included five Pro Bowl appearances—three seasons as first-team All-Pro.

More significant to McIntyre, he was a member of three playoff teams at Thomasville, three SEC championship squads at Georgia (including the 1980 national title team), and 11 of his 13 professional seasons resulted in his team reaching the NFL playoffs.

UGASports caught up with McIntyre at his home in Tracy, California.

UGASports: Were there other schools besides Georgia you were interested in attending and playing football?

McIntyre: “I wanted to attend a college that was not too close to my home. So, if Florida State had been a little farther from Thomasville (approximately 35-40 miles separate FSU and Thomasville), I probably would have gone there. I liked everything about FSU and used to listen to them all the time on the radio. They had a two-quarterback system with Jimmy Jordan and Wally Woodham. They also had standout guys like Ron Simmons, Larry Key, and Mike Shumann. But it was just too close to Thomasville. I rooted for Georgia, at the time, but also USC (University of Southern California). The whole mystique of USC was really impressive to me, and they were always on TV. At one point, I wanted to go to SC. But when it came right down to it, I didn’t think my mom would be able to come out to California much to see me play. So, I never even took a trip out there.”

UGASports: Why did you ultimately decide on Georgia?

McIntyre: “Ultimately, it was because of a recruiting trip. I was up in Athens, and Georgia was hosting all its big-time recruits. We had a fun weekend, but at a certain point, some of us recruits sat down in a room and began talking. We discussed that if we went to different schools, we’d each probably have a good time and win some games. But if there was a school we all liked, and we all went together, we'd have an even better chance of winning, regardless of what school that was. We traded notes, so to speak, on the different schools we'd visited, and talked about what we liked about each. A lot of us decided we liked Georgia, so we all decided to go there. Besides me in that room, there was also Carnie Norris, Norris Brown, Will Forts, James Brown (all signed with Georgia), and there may have been another one or two.”

UGASports: So, before you were an All-American offensive lineman at Georgia (AP second team in 1983), you'd been a starting defensive lineman for the Bulldogs—yet you'd been recruited as a tight end?

McIntyre: “I'd been a tight end all my life, so I was recruited as a tight end—and came to Georgia as one. But, back then, during summer camp, the freshmen would practice both ways—each an offensive and defensive position—except for Herschel Walker, probably (chuckling). So for that camp, I’d work with [then-defensive coordinator] Erk Russell for a little bit. Back then, on the lower level field where the defensive guys practiced, there was a machine where you’d fire off and hit it, like a defensive lineman hitting an offensive lineman. And, one day during one of those summer practices, I broke the machine. I honestly think the machine broke, because it was old and had suffered years of wear and tear, and I just happen to hit it at the right time to break it (laughing). Anyway, they stopped practice—and Coach Russell would always make a scene when something like that would happen. I guess at that point, the idea was that I could not only play at tight end but also along the defensive line if need be.”

UGASports: How was it to suddenly transition to playing defense during your true freshman year? And, exactly why were you moved from tight end to the interior defensive line?

McIntyre: “The transition wasn’t that big of a deal, because I'd always wanted to play defense. I loved defense. I loved hitting people. In fact, I almost quit football my freshman year at Thomasville, because my head coach didn’t want anyone to play both ways anymore. He thought they got tired. Back then at Thomasville, we ran the Veer offense and didn’t throw the ball all that much—and I wanted to hit somebody!

“By the time I got to Georgia in 1979, we had a bunch of tight ends. There was me, Norris Brown, James Brown, and Donald Dixon at tight end—and that was just in my incoming class! In the third game that season, and I think it was against South Carolina, we had a few guys go down in the front seven, like Jimmy Payne, Will Forts, and Tim Parks. And, we were playing that Split-60 [defensive formation], wide-tackle deal. They thought I’d be a good fit to play that defensive tackle position.”

UGASports: After being redshirted in 1980 for a back injury (McIntyre had been moved back to tight end before moving again to the offensive line before the injury), you were a reserve offensive lineman in 1981 before becoming a starter as a junior in 1982. Simply, how did you work your way up to become a starting offensive lineman?

McIntyre: “Like you said, I was just coming off my redshirt sophomore year (1981), and we had a new offensive line coach: Alex Gibbs, who'd been Auburn’s offensive coordinator. That spring (1982), he came up to me and said, ‘McIntyre, you’re one of my starting tackles.’ He said it right away, just like that. Coach Gibbs telling me that gave me a lot of confidence after I'd played at this position, played at that position, and while going through some injuries. I stayed at UGA that summer and just worked out—worked out hard and ate a lot. Coach Kasay’s (then-strength coach John Kasay) workouts, as grueling as they were, really helped me that summer.”

UGASports: Is there a moment which really sticks out to you now from your playing days at UGA?

McIntyre: “I was fortunate to be around a lot of great players, and we played in some really big games. But, something which really sticks out to me is what Vince Dooley started doing with the team my last couple of seasons. For away games, Coach Dooley took the team to special, historical places. For example, when we went to Oxford, Mississippi, we visited Elvis’ Graceland. When we went to Jacksonville one year, we also toured the USS Saratoga. At Kentucky, we visited Spendthrift Farm, a racehorse breeding farm in Lexington. And, you know, Coach was then and still is a real historian. So, I remember, he took us to some crazy movies, like Das Boot, a German war movie with submarines.”

UGASports: What is a play, or two, you were involved in as a Bulldog which still stands out to you today?

McIntyre: “A couple of plays stick out for one reason or another. I think it was my junior year in 1982, and we had the ball on the goal line. I forget the opponent but do remember it was a home game. Anyway, the play called was for one of Herschel’s famous leaps over the top into the end zone. But, just as Herschel jumped, his helmet slammed hard into my back—and I mean really hard—knocking me off my feet as I went down like a bag of potatoes. I don’t know what getting shot feels like, but I imagine getting shot in the back feels like the time Herschel hit me from behind.

“The next year when I was a senior, I got into a fraternity fight and got suspended for the first half of the next game (Temple). When I finally went into the game in the third quarter, I believe we were actually tied [14-14]. Anyway, I was so jacked up to be playing that, on my first play, I blocked someone clear off the sidelines and right into the hedges.” (From that point, Georgia scored 17 unanswered points for a 31-14 victory.)

UGASports: Speaking of a play that stands out, we’d be remiss if we didn’t discuss when you lined up at fullback for the 49ers against the Bears in the playoffs of your NFL rookie season. (Against Chicago in the 1984 NFC Championship, McIntyre, a reserve offensive lineman for San Francisco, lined up at fullback and blocked for a few plays, the last of which resulted in a 9-yard touchdown run by Wendell Tyler en route to a 23-0 victory for the 49ers.)

McIntyre: “At the time, our (San Francisco) offense didn’t feature a typical fullback. I wasn’t the biggest offensive lineman (265-270 pounds), but, in fact, was more like a big fullback. [Head coach] Bill Walsh knew my history of playing a variety of positions, knew of my agility, and knew that we could very well be facing the Bears in the playoffs down the road. The Bears ran that ‘46’ defense, which was really tight up the middle. So, he came up with a couple of running plays late in the regular season with me at fullback—'Angus,’ we called it—a double-guard pulling sweep, which could be successful against the ‘46.’

“On the ‘Angus’ play when Wendell scored, it was the first time I actually ran a play in from the sideline. So, I was desperately trying not to forget any part of the play call as I ran it in. As I ran towards the huddle, Joe (Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana) stepped out of the huddle to meet me. Well, I was so busy reciting the play to myself, I was oblivious that Joe had stepped towards me—that is, until I stepped right on his foot. And, I mean, I really stepped on his foot to where he had to push me off. I recall standing there thinking, ‘Man, I just broke Joe Montana’s foot!’ Regardless, typical Joe calmly called the play, we broke the huddle, and Wendell scored—and that was that. But, seriously, to this day, Joe still has my cleat mark clearly embedded in the foot I stepped on—and that was 35 years ago.”

UGASports: Guy, when you reflect back on your successful, accolade-filled football career at Thomasville High School, Georgia, and 13 years in the NFL (10 with San Francisco, one with Green Bay, and two with Philadelphia), what do you first think of?

McIntyre: “I’ve had my ups and downs but, man, I’ve had a blessed life. And, I just feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to play the game of football, to play with the people I played with over the years—from just playing in the backyard as a kid in Thomasville, all the way to playing in the NFL. I was the only boy in my family, so my teammates were like my brothers. From Thomasville to UGA to the NFL, it was more than just football to me. Those guys I played with were truly like brothers to me. And, to play with those who were like brothers, and to win on every level, that just made things even more enjoyable. I will say, the most fun I had was when I played with my guys at Thomasville. I thank God for blessing me with football, because the game essentially has given me all that I have.”

UGASports: And, you could say, football continues to bless you, right?

McIntyre: “No doubt. I’ve been fortunate to work for the 49ers organization in an administrative role for the last 15 years. So if you include my 10 years as a player here, I’ve been with San Francisco for about 25 years. I first worked with the 49ers in player development, and now I’m in alumni relations. I keep up with our 49er alumni, including passing along information to them, running programs to help them, networking opportunities, and will connect them with any resources they need.”

UGASports: Tell us about your family.

McIntyre: “I’ve been married to my wife, Kimberly, a beautiful woman, for 13 years. It’s my second marriage. I have five children: Dejon (34), Mallory (30), Arial (29), Alexa (22), and, finally, Bailey, who is just four and a half. I also have four grandchildren: Amariah, Averey, Kellen, and Andrew.”

UGASports: Finally, it’s probably difficult, considering you work for an NFL organization and live 2,500 miles from Athens, but do you ever make it back to a Georgia game?

McIntyre: “Last time I was back, it was Todd Gurley’s last season, and he scored four touchdowns against Clemson (2014). A year later, I wasn’t able to get away to come back for the 35th anniversary of the 1980 national title team. But, if we have something, I’m looking forward to coming back this year for the 40th anniversary. I hope we have something. I really want to get back and see all the guys. It’s been a long time—too long.”