Hall of Fame
Position: Center
Years: 1995-97
Place of Birth: Honolulu, Hawaii
Date of Birth: June 9, 1977
Jersey Number: 77
Height: 6 ft 2 in
Weight: 292 lbs
High School: Saint Louis School (Honolulu, Hawaii)
As the anchor of Washington's offensive line in the mid-1990s, Olin Kreutz set the standard for toughness, leadership, and consistency in the Pac-10, emerging as one of the nation's premier centers during a three-year career in Seattle. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native now becomes the 12th Husky player inducted into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame.
A consensus First Team All-American in 1997, Kreutz earned back-to-back First Team All-Pac-10 honors in 1996 and 1997 and captured the Morris Trophy in 1997 as the conference's top offensive lineman as voted on by opposing players.
He played a central role in Washington's offensive success, blocking for quarterback Brock Huard, who set 20 school records and finished his career with 6,391 passing yards. He also paved the way for All-Pac-10 running back Corey Dillon, who led the conference with 1,555 rushing yards in 1996. Behind Kreutz's blocking, the Huskies outscored their opponents 420-259 in 1997 and 391-254 in 1996.
Kreutz helped guide the Huskies to a 24–11–1 record, three consecutive bowl appearances, including a victory at the 1997 Aloha Bowl and final AP rankings of No. 16 in 1996 and No. 18 in 1997. Kreutz claimed UW Lineman of the Year and Guy Flaherty Most Inspirational Award honors in 1997, and he was named the UW Freshman of the Year in 1995.
Selected in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft by Chicago, he played for the Bears from 1998-2010 and with the Saints for a final season in 2011. He was selected for the Pro Bowl six times and earned First Team All-Pro honors in 2006.
Now an analyst for Chicago's 670 The Score, Kreutz remains active in football-related civic initiatives and is a longtime supporter of the NFF Chicago Metro Chapter. He was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 2016.
