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Paso Robles football player makes NFL 

Mitchell Van Dyk

Mitchell Van Dyk, a 2009 graduate of Paso Robles High School

Mitchell Van Dyk, a 2009 Paso Robles High School graduate, was picked in the seventh round of the National Football League draft by the St. Louis Rams on Saturday, the Portland State Vikings reported this weekend.

Van Dyk, a 6′-8″, 315-pounder was a four-year letterwinner for the Vikings. He spent three seasons as the starting right tackle for Portland State and led a dynamic offense that broke records for rushing and total offense, the Vikings report. Van Dyk was the 226th pick of the 2014 draft.

He recently competed in front of professional scouts in the College All-Star Bowl in February on the campus of Furman University in Greenville, S.C. “I’ve played college football for five years, and it was fun making my mark and leaving my legacy,” he told the Paso Robles Daily News before the game. “It’s an accomplishment enough to play in an all-star game. My grandparents, brothers, relatives and friends are all really proud of me. It’s nice how they’ve always been by my side to see me achieve on the field.”

Van Dyk was a three-year starter at Portland State University and named first-team All-Big Sky as an offensive tackle in 2013. This past season, PSU boasted the third-most productive offense at the Football Championship Subdivision level. He anchored an offensive line that helped set school records in total yards (6,486), rushing yards (3,330), rushing average (277.7 per game), total offense (540.5 per game), and rushing touchdowns (36).

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About the author: Publisher Scott Brennan

Scott Brennan is the publisher of this newspaper and founder of Access Publishing. Follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or follow his blog.