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Kyle Hinton

Kyle Hinton (Courtesy of Washburn University)

Kyle Hinton

Kyle Hinton (Courtesy of Washburn University)

Kyle Hinton began his high school football career at Vilseck before transferring to Arizona and then attending Washburn University. He was selected in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, a rare feat for a former DODEA player.

Kyle Hinton began his high school football career at Vilseck before transferring to Arizona and then attending Washburn University. He was selected in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, a rare feat for a former DODEA player. (Courtesy of Washburn University)

Former Vilseck Falcons football player Kyle Hinton was selected in the NFL Draft this weekend.

The Minnesota Vikings took Hinton, an offensive lineman out of Division II Washburn University, with the 253rd overall pick in the seventh and final round of the draft. Hinton started his prep career as a multiple-sport star at DODEA-Europe school Vilseck before transferring to Liberty High School in Peoria, Arizona.

Before leaving for the States, he was fourth in the shot put at the DODEA-Europe track and field championships in 2014.

Hinton developed into an NFL-level prospect over an impressive four-year career for the Ichabods. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder was named a first-team All-American by d2football.com as a senior and was invited to participate in the NFL Players Association Bowl Game. A standout performance at the offseason pro day at Kansas State University further raised Hinton’s draft profile, the Pro Football Network reported this spring.

Hinton continued to successfully pursue multiple sports in college. He was a second-team All-American and holds multiple school records as a discus thrower in track and field. Hinton also excelled in the classroom, earning three Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Scholar-Athlete awards in his time at Washburn.

He was scheduled to be a member of the school’s track team again this season before the coronavirus wiped out the NCAA’s entire spring sports schedule.

Chris Schad of Minnesota fan site The Viking Age expressed optimism about Hinton’s low-risk selection, writing that the Vikings “could have a steal on their hands” given the late-round draftee’s strong senior season and offseason.

broome.gregory@stripes.com Twitter: @broomestripes

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