The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MARCH 2019 THE WOLVERINE 35 down in the hometown of former U-M All-Big Ten lineman Jeff Backus? Well, the Hintons are no stranger to the Mid- west. Both parents attended Northwest- ern, Chris Hinton, an obvious foot- ball standout before being the No. 4 overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, and Mya Whitmore Hinton, an excellent performer on the Wildcats' basketball team. The jump from Georgia wasn't ex- actly a leap, Hardy mentioned. "His mom and dad are Big Ten peo- ple," Hardy said. "They have a level of affinity to that, which is a good thing. Growing up, his favorite team, his dream school, was always Michigan. Those kinds of things get in your mind and stay there. "But it was the outstanding com- bination of academics and athletics. Christopher is about more than just ball. He knows that a lot of people at Michigan are about more than just ball. It's a place that values that, that can push him in those ways, but also being in a locker room with teammates that value those things really fit together for him." The younger Hinton is also about people, especially teammates, his high school coach stressed. If anyone can fit in and become someone others love having in the locker room, it's him. "He really is exceptional," Hardy of- fered. "He may be more impressive as a person than he is as an athlete. I don't say that lightly. A couple of things about him — one, he knows his physi- cal gifts and he's a confident kid, but he's also a humble kid. He's about the team, more than he is about himself. "We asked him to do all kinds of things. He played four different of- fensive line positions for us at different times, did whatever we needed him to do and really was about something beyond himself. That's pretty special." It doesn't end there, Hardy assured. "From a personality standpoint, he finds a way to connect with every player in the locker room," the coach pointed out. "On a high school foot- ball team, you've got some really good players, and you've got some guys that aren't very good. "Here's a guy who finds a way to connect with the 50th guy on a 50-man team and make him feel valued. Chris isn't off doing his own thing. He's con- nected to people around him. He's known around our campus as being very respectful to the people around him. He's a really together, mature, thoughtful young man." He's long been thinking about, and preparing for, performing in a winged helmet — challenge accepted. ❏ DID YOU KNOW? • Participated in the All-American Bowl Jan. 5 in San Antonio, and had one tackle and recovered a fumble. • Started at several positions on the offensive line for his high school and was elected team captain as a senior. • Also played basketball and was on two national championship AAU teams. • Made academic honor roll all four years, and was a member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club. • U-M was his first offer, in the spring of his freshman year. • Son of former NFL offensive lineman Chris Hinton, who earned seven All-Pros honors during his 13-year career after being a first-team All-American at Northwest- ern. • His mother, Mya Whitmore Hinton, was a former Northwestern women's basketball standout and Miss Basket- ball for the state of Minnesota. • His younger brother Myles is ranked as a five-star recruit and No. 17 overall prospect in the class of 2020, and has committed to Stanford. THEY SAID IT • Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Far- rell: "Defensive tackles are at a premium on NFL Draft boards, especially if they can rush the quarterback, and Hinton can do that. I'm not saying he will be No. 1 overall — that will obviously be a quarterback — but I can easily see him as a top-10 NFL Draft pick if he continues to develop." • Rivals.com Georgia recruiting analyst Chad Sim- mons: "Hinton is just a sound defensive lineman. He looks like he projects to either a five-technique or even a three-technique on the inside. He might even be best suited as an offensive lineman down the road. "He's a very smart player and is really sound fundamentally. He can really hold his ground and is very strong against the run. He could improve his quickness to be a better pass rush guy, but he's just a very good all-around football player. He's not flashy, but he makes plays." • Gwinnett Daily Post sports writer Christine Troyke: "The thing that always stands out about Chris Hinton is the mix of strength with speed. Even watching from the press box, it's im- pressive how fast he gets off a block, or often blocks, and is in the backfield with pursuit. "He's an unselfish guy, though. When I've talked to him about his numbers, particularly the sacks, he credits the work the rest of the line did in order for him to get loose. "The guy played both sides of the ball so effectively, sometimes that gets lost in the shuffle. It's clear why he was recruited on the defensive side, but playing for a Class AAA school, Hinton was on the field a lot, which speaks to his condi- tioning. You see the agility when he plays basketball, too. He helped Greater Atlanta Christian to a state title last year as an often thun- derous force inside with an unexpect- edly good touch around the basket." Hinton is the third Rivals five-star defensive tackle to sign at U-M under Jim Harbaugh, joining Rashan Gary and Aubrey Solomon. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM