United States Federal Witness Protection Program
Following his NFL career, Meilinger joined the United States Marshals Service. During his Marshals Service career, he was one of the original agents for the United States Federal Witness Protection Program, and eventually was promoted to Chief Deputy for the Eastern District of Kentucky, where he served until his retirement. In 2014, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He died in 2015 at the age of 84.