He later played two seasons in the United States Football League (USFL) for the Washington Federals and San Antonio Gunslingers.
[1] He played running back for the Cougars and was one of the top runners in the conference as a sophomore, having for a time the highest rushing average.
[5] McIntyre transferred to play for the Arizona State Sun Devils in 1977 and was initially a running back before switching to linebacker as a senior in 1978.
[12] After the San Francisco 49ers placed Mike Hogan on injured reserve, the team signed McIntyre to fill the empty roster spot on September 11, 1979.
[14][19][20] He was released by the Cardinals on August 17, 1981, which ultimately ended his NFL career, with McIntyre having appeared in 24 games, five as a starter.
[6] In 2023, McIntyre took part in a study for a program promoting heart health; he took an echocardiogram "as a formality to be able to encourage others", but it was discovered he had an enlarged aorta and he underwent surgery.
[24] He said that taking the test saved his life: "I had my workout ready, and the doc told me if I would've done that, my heart would've exploded, with no symptoms.