Tom Hinton was a member of the BC Lions from 1958 to 1966 and was one the club’s key members in the drive to their first Grey Cup appearance in 1963 and CFL title in 1964. Tom played 136 regular season games for the Lions, most of them wearing his familiar #54 first as a defensive end and then as a mainstay at offensive guard paired with Steve Cotter. Tom joined the Lions after the 1957 college season at Louisiana Tech and his selection by Chicago in the NFL Draft. A five-time Western Conference All-Star he was the club’s nominee as Top Lineman three years running from 1958 to 1960. In 1963, Tom obtained his Canadian citizenship, was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1991 and into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1992. He was a charter member of the club’s initial Wall of Fame class and was one of several players to be named to all Lions’ Dream Teams in 1984, 1994 and 2004. Off the field, Tom continued the club serving on several boards up to 1990.
