New Chicago Bears star Dillon Thieneman's stunning sister captured the attention of fans on Thursday night after he was selected in the NFL Draft. Chicago took a safety in the first round for the first time in 36 years when they drafted Thieneman out of Oregon with the No. 25 pick.
After he was taken in the first round, the now ex-Ducks player's joyous family were interviewed by ABC in Pittsburgh - and it was younger sister Kiera who stole the show. The glamorous blonde was standing next to her father Ken in a long red dress when ABC cut to the interview, and she appeared to be struggling to contain her delight following Dillon's move to Chicago.
Kiera, a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at Purdue, gained plenty of admirers after her brief cameo during the Draft. Social media users quickly shared clips of her reactions, with many commenting on her beauty and enthusiasm.
Dillon will be hoping to win over Bears fans when he arrives in Chicago ahead of his rookie NFL season. The Bears had not drafted a safety in the first round since 1990, when they took Mark Carrier with the No. 6 pick out of USC. Thieneman is the first defensive player taken in the first round by Chicago since linebacker Roquan Smith in 2018.
He joins a team trying to build on a breakthrough year, after winning the NFC North in coach Ben Johnson's first season. 'He's a violent football player,' general manager Ryan Poles said. 'He strikes. There's a knock-back element to his tackling.'
Thieneman grew up near Indianapolis in Westfield, Indiana, and starred at Purdue for two years before transferring to Oregon last season. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and helped the Ducks go 13-2 while advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals. He finished with 95 tackles and two interceptions, including the clinching pick in a double-overtime win at Penn State in late September.
The 6-foot, 201-pound Thieneman is known for his speed, versatility and ability to recognize what the other team is trying to do. He ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the combine and can play both safety spots as well as nickelback. 'I feel like speed is very interesting because there's normal speed and then there's gameplan speed,' he said. 'So the more you can process and recognize, the faster you can play in-game closer to your speed.'
