Chad Rinehart profile

[MTK]

NFL Events: Draft Player Profiles - Chad Rinehart



Chad Rinehart (OT)
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 320
College: Northern Iowa
Conference: Gateway
Hometown: Boone, IA
High School: Boone
View Combine Page >>



Overview Professional scouts flocked to Northern Iowa to see what many feel is the NCAA Subdivision's premier draft prospect in 2007. One of the most dominant left tackles in the game, Rinehart anchored the Panthers' offensive line since moving into the lineup as a freshman.

The decorated blocker is equally proficient in opening holes for the ground game or sliding back to protect the quarterback's blind side in passing situations. With Rinehart at left tackle, Northern Iowa has averaged over 400 yards per game in total offense (410.84 yards per game) over the last three seasons. The team ranked 10th in rushing (219.36 yards per game) and fourth in total offense (408.27 ypg) during his junior year.

At Boone High School, Rinehart was a standout offensive lineman. He earned All-State second-team honors as both a junior and senior. He was also a first-team All-District and All-Conference choice during his final two seasons. Rinehart also starred for the track team, qualifying for the state finals in the discus.

Pursued by the Naval Academy, Rinehart decided to enroll at Northern Iowa. He spent the 2003 season competing as an offensive tackle on the scout team. In 2004, he took over at left tackle, starting the team's first five games before undergoing a laparoscopic appendectomy on October 21. He missed three games while recovering before returning to the field as a reserve for the team's final three contests. He finished his first season with the team with an 87.57% grade for blocking consistency, delivering four touchdown-resulting blocks in the process.

Rinehart began to establish his dominance in the trenches as a sophomore in 2005. He earned All-Gateway Conference first-team honors and was a second-team All-Northwest Region choice by Football Gazette. He completely manhandled his opponents, coming up with 134 knockdowns, including 13 touchdown-resulting blocks and an impressive 17 blocks downfield. He registered an 87.13% grade for blocking consistency, helping the team average 236.8 yards per game passing and 400.53 yards in total offense.

Rinehart garnered Associated Press and Sports Network All-American second-team honors in 2006. He was an All-Gateway Conference and All-Northwest Region first-team choice and earned his third Gateway Offensive Lineman of the Week honors during his junior campaign.

He helped a unit that ranked fourth nationally in total offense with an average of 408.27 yards per game and ranked 10th in the Division 1-AA ranks with an average of 219.36 yards per game on the ground. He delivered 105 knockdowns in 11 games, producing 17 touchdown-resulting blocks and 15 more blocks downfield. He held his opponents to just three stops behind the line of scrimmage and a total of 14 tackles (10 solo), as he led the 1-AA linemen with an 89.64% grade for blocking consistency.

As a senior, Rinehart was a consensus All-American first-team and unanimous All-Gateway Conference first-team selection. He continued his dominance, as he graded 88.64% for blocking consistency, the highest mark of any offensive lineman in the FCS ranks. He collected 103 knockdowns with 17 touchdown-resulting blocks and 12 blocks downfield. The offense responded to his blocking by averaging 457.3 yards per game, an improvement of close to 50 yards per game from the previous season.

Career Notes Rinehart has the highest career blocking consistency grade (88.5%) of any NCAA Division 1-AA (Subdivision) offensive lineman in the last 15 years...The left offensive tackle started 42 of 45 contests at left offensive tackle. He produced 409 knockdowns/key blocks, including 51 that resulted in touchdowns and 51 more that came down field.

High School Attended Boone (Ia.) High School, playing football for head coach Jon Walcyk...Earned All-State second-team honors as both a junior and senior...First-team All-District and All-Conference choice during his final two campaigns...In addition to excelling on the gridiron, he also starred for the track team, qualifying for the state finals in the discus.

Copyright NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.