By Kyle Coppola
MDCA Football Player Tyler McClinton-Hutto Signs Commitment To FMU
MOUNT DORA, Fla. — Mount Dora Christian Academy standout Tyler McClinton-Hutto made it official this week, signing his national letter of intent to continue his football career at Florida Memorial University.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound defensive force capped off a dominant senior season by leading the Bulldogs in several key defensive categories. McClinton-Hutto racked up 71 total tackles, with a team-best 16 tackles for loss. He also notched three sacks, 20 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and even a blocked punt—showcasing his versatility.
(McClinton-Hutto was a force last year. He has all the tools to be successful at the collegiate level. Photo Credit – CJ Prospect Media.)
“Tyler has been the heart of our defense,” said MDCA Kolby Tackett in a recent interview. “His leadership, work ethic and playmaking ability are second to none.” FMU is certainly getting a game changer. His 6’5″ frame is ideal for defensive edge and he will continue to develop at the NAIA level.
Florida Memorial University, located in Miami Gardens, competes at the NAIA level and continues to build its program with strong in-state recruits like McClinton-Hutto. The Lions are hoping his disruptive presence on the defensive line will make an immediate impact. He has great speed which FMU will look to employ.
McClinton-Hutto was named the FACA District 8 All-District Defensive Line player.
Congratulations to the McClinton-Hutto family, to his friends, teammates, coaches and everyone who has had an impact on this young man’s life. Go Tyler!
Other MDCA Signees
Football: Frank Hicks – Charleston Southern Eagles
Girls Basketball: Natalie Doan – U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Track & Field: Tanner Schick – Lake-Sumter State College
Track & Field: Madison Tweedie – University of Tampa
Baseball: Kenny Mallon – New College of Florida
Basketball: Mackenzie Glass – Gordon College
Basketball: Luke Deininger – Covenant College
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
