National Football Foundation

Position: Offensive Guard
Years: 1997-2000
Place of Birth: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Date of Birth: November 1, 1977
Jersey Number: 76
Height: 6-5
Weight: 299
High School: Coral Springs (FL)

A fierce competitor at 6-foot-5 and 299 pounds who towered over opponents, Steve Hutchinson dominated the line, never allowing a sack during his final two seasons at Michigan. The four-time First Team All-Big Ten selection and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native becomes the 34^th Michigan player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
Hutchinson arrived at Michigan as a defensive lineman but switched over to the offensive line during his redshirt season, and he would go on to become a unanimous First Team All-America selection in 2000. He started 45-of-47 career games, and the Wolverines compiled a 41-8 overall record and a 27-5 Big Ten mark during his four seasons as a starter. The Big Ten's Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2000, Hutchinson was a finalist for the 2000 Rotary Lombardi Award after being a semifinalist during the 1999 season. He was the Touchdown Club of Columbus Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2000.
 
A two-year team captain, Hutchinson led the Wolverines to four consecutive bowl wins, including a 21-16 victory over Washington State at the Rose Bowl following the 1997 season. Michigan finished the season 12-0 and at No. 1 in the final AP Poll, giving the Wolverines their first national title since 1948. The Wolverines went 10-3 in 1998, claiming a 45-31 victory over Arkansas in the Florida Citrus Bowl and a final No. 12 AP ranking.
 
The team notched a 10-2 record in 1999, capping the season with a 35-34 win over Alabama in the Orange Bowl and finishing No. 5 in the final polls. During Hutchinson's final season in Ann Arbor in 2000, the Wolverines finished 9-3, ending the season with a 31-28 win over Auburn in the Florida Citrus Bowl and a final No. 11 AP ranking. Michigan never finished lower than 12^th nationally while claiming three Big Ten Championships and a national title during his four seasons with the Wolverines.
 
Playing for Hall of Fame Coach Lloyd Carr all four years, Hutchinson protected the blind side for several Wolverine quarterbacks who set school passing records, including Brian Griese (a 1997 NFF National Scholar-Athlete), Tom Brady (1998, 1999) and Drew Henson (1999, 2000).
 
Selected in the first round (17^th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft by Seattle, Hutchinson played 12 years in the league with the Seahawks (2001-05), Vikings (2006-11) and Titans (2012). He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times, named a First Team All-Pro five times, and a Second Team All-Pro two times. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
 
Hutchinson currently resides in the Nashville, Tennessee, area, and he interned with the Titans' personnel department. He has also worked as a college football analyst with FOX, the NFL Network and the Big Ten Network. He has lent his support to various charitable causes over the years, including the NFF Middle Tennessee Chapter in Nashville.