Menlo School 2013 graduate and Dartmouth quarterback Jack Heneghan has signed a free-agent contract with the San Francisco 49ers.  

Heneghan, who is set to graduate from Dartmouth in June with a bachelors in economics, will report to rookie mini-camp on Friday, May 4. He is the first Menlo School athlete to sign with an NFL team since John Farquhar (Menlo ’90), who played for Dartmouth then went on to play five seasons in the NFL at tight end with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Another former Menlo quarterback John Paye (Menlo ’83) went on to play at Stanford. He was later was taken in the 10th round of the 1986 NFL draft, and spent the 1988 season playing for the 49ers.     

Heneghan had participated in the local pro day with the 49ers in mid-April and had been talking with the coaches. While watching the draft with his fraternity brothers at Dartmouth, he got a call from 49ers quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello late Saturday, and learned he would be joining the team he knew watched closely and been around since he was a child.

“It’s real exciting because I’ve grown up watching the games and for me, this is the team I love,” Heneghan said. “It also completes one of my career goals, playing in the NFL has been a dream and something I’ve wanted for a long time. I’m just looking forward to getting started and help the team in any way I can.”  

Heneghan has long been around pro football. His father Lal was an NFL executive for more than 20 years: 49ers Executive Vice President, Cleveland Browns VP of operations and general counsel and NFL Director of Labor Relations.    

As a senior, Heneghan led Dartmouth to an 8-2 record and a second-place finish in the Ivy League standings completing 185 of 293 passes with 17 touchdowns, and becoming just the third Dartmouth quarterback to throw for 2,000 yards in a season twice (2,136).

He was an all-Ivy League honorable mention​, and a two-time selection to the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team.

“I want to thank Coach Mark Newton, Coach Gary Riekes, Coach Dave Dove and all the coaches at Menlo, who really helped me play out and foster my love of football, and sports in general.”

At Menlo, Heneghan was named MVP-offense ​ for Peninsula Athletic League as a senior. He was a ​San Francisco Chronicle all-metro selection and ​Cal-Hi Sports all-state small schools second team​. He also ​helped the Knights basketball team to a 21-8 record as a junior​.

– Pam Tso McKenney

”49ers rookie minicamp to include local QB out of Bay Area“ Vytas Mazeika-Palo Alto Daily News/San Jose Mercury News, May 3, 2018