Matthew McGlennon going from Spartan to a Shark

By Walter J. O’Neill, Jr.

12-03-25 Matthew McGlennon of Ocean Township HS signed his National Letter of Intent to play football at Long Island University.

Ocean Township – December 3, Matthew McGlennon, a senior at Ocean Township High School signed his letter of National Intent to play football at Long Island University. McGlennon, who was one of the captains this past season has been on the varsity football team for the past three seasons.

McGlennon played linebacker, center and long snapper for the Spartans who finished 5-5 this past season. He is also a four-year varsity member of the Ocean track team where he throws the discus and shot. Football is the sport of choice for McGlennon who has a specialized skill as a long snapper.

The position of long snapper is on special teams and his job is to snap the ball to the punter, who is usually about 15 yards behind him. The position is very different from a center, who snaps the ball to the quarterback who is either directly behind the center or seven yards back in the shotgun formation.

For the past two years McGlennon has been working with Joe Shimko, who was born in Belmar and played his high school ball at Wall Township. He was the long snapper for North Carolina State. During his college career of making 61 long snaps, he never made a mistake and won the Patrick Mannelly Award. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals last year and is currently a free agent.

The hard work in the off season and his growth on the field earned McGlennon an opportunity to play Division 1 football as he was recruited by Long Island University. The Sharks open the 2026 season, in Kanas and McGlennon has been told he will be suiting up for the road trip and will be competing for starting long snapper.

In high school he wore number 54 for the Spartans, and is hoping to get that number as a Shark. He might be in luck as number 54 was not assigned to any player this past season. “When I attended the camp at Long Island University, I was given number 55, and the nickname White Chocolate,” said a laughing McGlennon. The nickname is in reference to Jason Williams, who played professional basketball and wore number 55. He was known for his flash and pizazz and what he could do with the ball. McGlennon impressed his future teammates and coaches at LIU that they gave him the nickname.

Many elite athletes are superstitious or have a certain routine. For McGlennon it was a simple item. “I have to have a chicken cutlet sandwich from Brennan’s,” he said. When looking back on his career as a Spartan, his favorite memory was the bus ride home after the last game. “Everyone was happy and singing.” Ocean had beaten Monmouth Regional 38-18 on October 29.

As for personal accomplishments, McGlennon has received a 4.5 out of 5 rating as a long snapper. He has also taken first in regional long snapping camps and is ranked nationally. During this past summer he won at camps at North Carolina and competed in Las Vegas.

McGlennon is not your typical offensive lineman, he is just about 200 pounds, which is perfect for a long snapper. One of the coaches at Long Island University was impressed with his speed and hitting ability. After he snaps the ball to the punter, McGlennon’s job is to run downfield and tackle the kick returner.

In five years, McGlennon hopes to still be involved with football and having a degree in finance. His favorite color is green, and besides the chicken cutlet sandwich he loves sushi. And as for music, All I Need by Radiohead. He is also a member of the National Honor Society.