He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and North Dakota State Bison and was selected in the 30th round of the 1948 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers.
[1] He began his football career in his hometown before attending White Bear Lake High School; he was their second alumni to make it to the NFL.
[2][5] After graduating, he served close to two years in World War II with the United States Army Air Forces.
[2][6] Awarded a Purple Heart for his service, he was a staff sergeant and served 47 missions in China, India, Japan, Guam, Okinawa, Hawaii and Australia.
[20] In 1959, he coached a football team known as the South Broward Volunteers in Florida and the following year he began operating bowling alleys with boxer Rocky Marciano.
[15][20][22] After selling his share of the bowling alleys to Marciano in the 1960s, McGeary became a founder of the Federation of Christian Athletes and worked in the marina business.