In 1983, Chris Hinton was involved in one of the most notable trades in NFL Draft history.
After the Denver Broncos selected Hinton with the fourth overall pick in the draft, the franchise then traded him to the Baltimore Colts.
In exchange, the Colts gave Denver their draft pick, Stanford quarterback John Elway.
Even casual NFL fans know about Elway’s history with the Broncos, including his two world championships.
Happy birthday to this hall-of-fame worthy Colts alum, CHRIS HINTON. When Chris came to us in 1983, he could have also been a great TE or DL. He finished his career as a 7-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman, with numerous all-pro/all-conference honors.💪🏈 pic.twitter.com/UBw8cKR1Uv
— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) July 31, 2022
However, those same fans may not know that Hinton quietly became one of the best offensive linemen in the league at the same time.
Although he never won a Super Bowl like Elway, Hinton was chosen for seven Pro Bowls during his career.
Since his retirement, there has been a consistent push to add the former tackle/guard to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
This is the story of Chris Hinton.
Natural Talent in Chicago
Christopher Jerrod Hinton was born on July 31, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois.
Happy Birthday to #Colts great, Chris Hinton! pic.twitter.com/YLvBhbZJ6h
— Colts on SR (@SRIndyColts) July 31, 2024
By the time he entered Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago, Hinton was growing in size and joined the Wildcats’ football team.
Due to his quick feet, decent speed and ability to block opponents well, Hinton started at tight end and displayed some sweet moves against a nearby rival when he was a senior.
“I was playing tight end, and we ran the hook and ladder to perfection, me catching it and pitching to our all-city running back for the winning touchdown,” he said in 2018.
Nearby college football programs such as the University of Minnesota and Northwestern University saw his obvious talent and offered him a scholarship.
Surprisingly, despite the fact that he could have played for more competitive schools, Hinton chose Northwestern.
Hinton Experiences Losing Football
The Northwestern University Wildcats have not had much success as a football power through the years.
Before Hinton arrived in 1979 to play for head coach Rick Venturi, the program had only a handful of winning records dating back several decades.
Even worse, to that point, the Wildcats had exactly one bowl appearance in the school’s entire history.
Yet, that’s where Hinton decided to attend college and try to make a name for himself in a relative wasteland of athletic ability.
In his freshman year, Northwestern won one game while Hinton got some playing time at tight end.
As a sophomore in 1980, Venturi’s squad didn’t win a game, and Hinton was lost in the shuffle of bad football.
Following the ‘80 season, Venturi was fired, and former Stanford offensive coordinator Dennis Green was hired.
Northwestern lost every game again (getting outscored by a whopping 505-82 margin) while Hinton hauled in 19 passes for 265 yards.
Position Change
Hinton’s pro prospects would have been extremely low if Green hadn’t seen his potential.
However, the coach didn’t envision Hinton’s future as a tight end.
“He said, ‘We’re going to move you to offensive tackle,’’’ Hinton said about Green. “He said, ‘You could play in the NFL and be a high pick.’ But I didn’t really believe it at the time.”
It turned out that Green was spot on in Hinton’s untapped ability to play on the line.
Furthermore, his footwork and natural talent eventually put Hinton at left tackle.
Chris Hinton is Chicago's homegrown hulk who tackled the NFL for 13 seasons straight from Northwestern! 🏈 Windy City's wall on the frontline, and a legacy that stands tall. @NFL @Colts @AtlantaFalcons #NFL #Chicago #Northwestern 🌬️🛡️ pic.twitter.com/FEwJdlkuZT
— Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame (@CSHOFChicago) August 23, 2023
As the 1982 season progressed, and Northwestern pulled three wins out of its hat, pro scouts descended into Evanston.
Somehow, Hinton was becoming a known commodity despite the Wildcats’ constant losing and was named first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten.
Additionally, he was a co-captain of the team and was chosen as the MVP of the Wildcats.
When his senior year concluded, Hinton was invited to a number of college all-star games such as the Blue-Gray Classic and the Senior Bowl.
“At the beginning of the year, I would have been tickled pink to have been picked in the fourth round,’’ Hinton said in 2023. “But then I went to the Senior Bowl and things really took off.”
He played so well in both events that, years later, Hinton would be added to the Blue-Gray Classic’s Hall of Fame.
An Unexpected Trade
The 1983 NFL Draft is one of the most famous events in the league’s history.
During the first round alone, six different quarterbacks were selected, including Stanford’s John Elway to the Baltimore Colts with the first overall pick.
Three spots after Elway, Hinton was selected by the Denver Broncos.
“It was a surprise because I didn’t have a lot of communication with the Broncos,’’ Hinton said in 2023. “After I got picked, I remember (then-Broncos coach Dan) Reeves calling me and the general manager (Hein Poulus), and the phone got passed around.”
Hinton then got on a plane and made his way to Colorado, and was greeted by a throng of fans after his arrival.
Reeves took his new tackle out on the town, and a local company gave Hinton several pairs of cowboy boots.
By the time he returned home to Chicago, Hinton was loaded with a plethora of Broncos gear.
Then, almost a week later, Hinton received word from his agent that he was no longer a member of the Broncos.
When the Broncos made the trade for John Elway in 1983. The Colts received guard Chris Hinton (solid career) & backup QB Mark Herman, & the Broncos 1st round pick in 1984 (Ron Solt, offensive line). The Broncos stole him! pic.twitter.com/UuFhb1NWJX
— RSR Cards & Collectibles (@CardsRsr) April 27, 2022
Apparently, the franchise had wanted Elway all along, and the quarterback never intended to suit up for the Colts.
Both organizations swapped their picks (plus a few players and draft picks), and Hinton was suddenly on his way to Baltimore.
“Coach Reeves, when he called me after the trade, he said, ‘You know, I’m sorry it happened this way. We drafted you to be a Bronco, and we had this opportunity we couldn’t pass up,’’’ Hinton said years later.
Hinton Experiences More Losing
The Baltimore Colts had once been a proud franchise.
In the 1950s, there had been two world titles and more wins followed in the 1960s, including a loss in Super Bowl III and a victory in Super Bowl V.
However, by 1983, the Colts had experienced five straight losing seasons, including an 0-8-1 record during the strike-shortened 1982 season.
Hinton joined head coach Frank Kush’s team in ‘83 and rose through the depth chart quickly.
Fun interview today with former Colt Chris Hinton.
-His awkward 1st meeting with Bob Irsay
-The ‘83 Draft
-His favorite game as a Colt
-Thoughts on #IUFB
and much more!https://t.co/P2iBuwDhQp pic.twitter.com/PPvh9eL919— Jake Query (@jakequery) October 4, 2024
While Baltimore won seven times, the 6 ‘4, 300-pound Hinton played at left guard and started 15 games, playing well enough to garner his first Pro Bowl invite and PFWA All-Rookie Team honor.
Before the 1984 season began, the Colts relocated to Indianapolis, and Kush moved Hinton to left tackle (an injury limited him to six contests).
Indy fired Kush after four wins that year, and Rod Dowhower lasted just over one season and a 5-24 combined record in 1985 and 1986.
Meanwhile, Hinton was flourishing as a Pro Bowler both years and also received a second-team All-Pro nod in ‘85.
Playoff Football at Last
When the calendar turned to 1987, Ron Meyer was elevated to lead the Colts after being the interim coach for three games the previous year (all victories).
#OTD in 1987 Eric Dickerson is on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
After 3 games with the Rams, Dickerson was a part of a 10 players trade that would send him to the Colts. #Colts pic.twitter.com/0TLy8wYRuX— TV intros that go hard (@classictvintros) November 9, 2019
Then, three games into the season, the organization traded for LA Rams running back Eric Dickerson, who played for Meyer when both were at SMU.
“As a teammate, I will just never forget [Dickerson] taking on a couple of linebackers, making a lot out of nothing,” recalled Hinton. “I think that is what really made him a great runner. You have guys who can scamper to the outside and guys who are tough between the tackles, but he did them both and did them both well.”
A mediocre team at best before Dickerson’s arrival, the Colts caught fire and went 9-6 during another strike-shortened year.
Meyer fired up the troops before games and was known for his memorable quotes.
“I loved, ‘Pee on the fire and call in the dogs. This hunt is over.’ It was one of Ron Meyer’s, and I’ll never forget it,” recalled Hinton in 2013.
Dickerson sprinted for just over 1,000 yards in ‘87, and Hinton was voted to Pro Bowl number four.
In the divisional round, Indy lost to the Cleveland Browns, 38-21.
It was the organization’s first postseason appearance since 1977.
Indianapolis went 9-7 in 1988 and 8-8 in 1989 but didn’t make the playoffs either year.
Hinton, now one of the best tackles in football, was voted to the Pro Bowl both seasons and was a second-team All-Pro again in ‘89.
Trade to Atlanta
At the same time that Hinton was shining for a middling pro franchise, Elway was playing in his third world championship game.
However, he would lose to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV, 55-10, after the 1989 season, Elway’s third Super Bowl loss.
While Broncos fans mourned yet another close call with a championship, Hinton had barely experienced playoff football.
It didn’t look like his fortunes would change anytime soon after he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in April of 1990.
The year before he arrived in Georgia, the Falcons went 3-13.
Atlanta hadn’t been to the postseason since 1982.
1990: Colts trade up for Jeff George
In a blockbuster trade with Atlanta, Indianapolis dealt Chris Hinton, Andre Rison, a 1990 fifth-round pick and 1991 first-round pick for the first overall pick, a fourth-round pick and a conditional pick pic.twitter.com/0qz5DLxsLZ
— Clip Kelly (@ClipKelly) March 5, 2024
Perhaps surprisingly, in an effort to turn their fortunes, the franchise traded its top overall pick to the Colts before the 1990 NFL Draft.
In exchange, Hinton and receiver Andre Rison were sent to the Falcons along with a few draft picks.
Indianapolis used its new draft position to select University of Illinois quarterback Jeff George.
Before he reported to his new team, Hinton held out for a better contract.
When he finally joined his new teammates, head coach Jerry Glanville switched Hinton to right tackle.
The Falcons went 5-11, and Hinton started 12 of 15 games.
More Accolades
In 1991, everything seemed to click for Atlanta.
Glanville’s brash personality and high-flying offense took the NFL by storm.
While Rison and Michael Haynes were catching passes in bunches from quarterback Chris Miller, Hinton was holding down the fort with fellow linemates Jamie Dukes, Bill Fralic and Mike Kenn.
The Falcons won 10 games and beat the New Orleans Saints in the wild-card round.
Hinton was voted to his seventh Pro Bowl and played in the all-star game at his third different position.
Happy birthday to former @Falcons & #TecmoSuperBowl OT Chris Hinton (63)! He was traded twice for QBs (John Elway, Jeff George) but proved his worth by earning 7 Pro Bowls, 2x 1st Team & 3x 2nd Team All Pro honors over a 13-year @NFL career. Happy birthday Chris! pic.twitter.com/oGo6t0VQH1
— SBlueman (@SBluemanTecmo) July 31, 2024
Unfortunately, Atlanta’s dream season ended in the divisional round to the Washington Redskins.
Glanville couldn’t get his charges back on track in 1992 or 1993, winning a combined 12 games.
As the Falcons sputtered, Hinton started every game both seasons and excelled at a new position, right guard, in ‘93.
Although he was not chosen for the Pro Bowl that year, Hinton was picked as a first-team All-Pro.
Hinton Signs with Minnesota
Following the 1993 NFL season, the Falcons declined to re-sign Hinton.
That decision led a number of teams to reach out, including the Minnesota Vikings.
It just so happened that Minnesota was led by Dennis Green, Hinton’s coach for two years in college.
Dennis Green doesn't get nearly enough credit for the Offenses he put together in Minnesota.
In his 10 years with the Vikings his Offense was a Top 10 Scoring Offense 6/10 years and he made the Playoffs 8/10 years. pic.twitter.com/M1hlQn9az9
— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) August 22, 2024
When Green called to express his desire to be reunited, Hinton signed a three-year, $7.5 million deal.
“It’s no secret that I would have liked to stay there (Atlanta) and would have taken a little less money to do so,” Hinton said. “But when it came to the money, the Vikings really stepped up to the plate. And the Falcons. … It was like they hadn’t even left for the ballpark yet.”
In 1994, Hinton played right tackle on a good Vikings line that included rookie Todd Steussie, guard Randall McDaniel and center Jeff Christy.
Minnesota went 10-6 but lost to the Chicago Bears in the wild-card round.
Hinton Retires
Hinton returned for his 13th season in 1995 and played at guard.
Unfortunately, he was limited by injuries again and started only four games while the Vikings went 8-8 and failed to qualify for the postseason.
When the season concluded, Hinton retired.
During his career, he was selected for seven Pro Bowls and chosen as a second-team All-Pro twice and first-team All-Pro once.
Years after his retirement, Hinton was one of the first former Colts to be placed in the franchise’s Ring of Honor.
He was one of the few offensive linemen selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie and the first to play in the contest at three different positions.
Although he was obviously one of the best offensive linemen during his career, Hinton has not yet been seriously mentioned for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Forever linked to Elway (who finally won two Super Bowls before his retirement), Hinton never played in a world championship game.
That’s one reason he believes that he hasn’t been added to the Hall.
“Hands down,” Hinton said, “if I played for the 49ers or the Redskins I’d be in the Hall of Fame. If I played for championship teams and accomplished what I did I would probably have more All-Pro seasons. As a voter, it’s tough to wrap your arms around a player you guys didn’t see.”
Hinton also believes that playing multiple positions actually works against his inclusion in football immortality.
“I think the fact I played multiple positions hurt,” he said, “and playing for three different teams also. And, to be very honest with you, I think I played out of position most of my career. I was more of a natural guard. I was more of a physical, run blocking guy vs. the tackles.”
Life After Retirement
NFL history is chock-full of former players who became coaches or worked in NFL front offices.
Hinton is not one of them.
Instead, he watched as his sons, Chris Jr. and Myles, played major college football and reached the NFL.
#Alabama is the latest to offer the Hinton brothers; 2019 5-star Chris and 2020 freak Myles out of Greater Atlanta Christian (Ga.). #Tide pic.twitter.com/wZm25o9ViL
— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) April 27, 2017
In 1999, Hinton and his wife, Mya, opened “Hinton’s Wine Store” in Alpharetta, Georgia, near Atlanta.
The operation is now flourishing at two locations despite Hinton having “no work experience besides knocking people down” before starting the business.
References
https://fs64sports.blogspot.com
https://www.pro-football-reference.com
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