On offense he was a fullback, and on defense a linebacker (a tackler of his opposite number on the other team). On special teams, he served as both the punter and kicker.
Not only did Hinkle play virtually every down, there were no television commercial breaks during the years he played, as games were not televised (the “boob tube” not coming into common use until the 1950s).
Another thing that underscores how different the life of an athlete was then compared to now is that after his first season ended, Hinkle spent the offseason back home in Ohio, working for a steel construction company.