I can't let this go another day. Offensive linemen rarely get the attention that they deserve. I don't think that Steve Hutschinson ever wanted any. At least he probably never wanted any from outside his team. That might have been why he announced his retirement from football at the same time that free agency was grabbing all the news. He just wanted to walk away from the game. Well, he's going to get some attention here. Even if it is later than he deserved.
Steve Hutchinson was one of the best offensive linemen of his generation. He was one of the best guards to ever play the game. Guards get even less attention than the other line positions. But, when you have a great one, you know it. After an All-American college career at Michigan, Hutchinson was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He paired with Walter Jones to form the best guard-tackle combination that I'd seen since Hall of Famers Art Shell and Gene Upshaw of the Oakland Raiders. That line, led by Jones and Hutchinson, drove the Seahawks to Super XL. The following offseason the Seahawks made a mistake that they will always regret. For unknown reasons, the team paid far more attention to the contract status of quarterback Matthew Hasselbeck, running back Shaun Alexander, and Jones. Despite the name recognition of those players, Hutchinson was as important to the team as any of them. Head coach Mike Holmgren knew it. The front office apparently didn't. Instead of signing him outright or using their franchise tag, the Seahawks placed the much less secure transition tag on Hutchinson. The Minnesota Vikings took advantage. They signed Hutchinson to a creative contract using a "poison pill" clause that made it virtually impossible for the Seahawks to match. Steve Hutchinson took his grand football skills to Minnesota. The difference that he made on the Vikings line and their offense was immediate. Flanked by tackle Bryant McKinnie and center Matt Birk, the left side of the Vikings line was dominant. It was a line that could have been even better if McKinnie cared even a little about football. The Vikings have been fortunate to have had two of the greatest guards that I've ever seen. Randall McDaniel was one of the best to ever play and is in the Hall of Fame. Hutchinson will join him. I hate seeing great Vikings players end their career elsewhere. It happens far too often. Hutchinson was released by the Vikings in a cost saving move following the 2011 season. He played his final season with the Tennessee Titans.
Not many players are voted to the all-time teams of two teams. Steve Hutchinson was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Vikings honoring the team's fifty years in the league. He was also named to the Seahawks 35th Anniversary Team. Five years with Seattle. Six years with Minnesota. One final year with Tennessee. I wish that he could have experienced a championship in his career. I really wish that he could have experienced that with the Vikings. He made it to the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2005. He should have made it there with the Vikings in 2009. It's the only thing missing from a tremendous NFL career. All-Time teams, All-Pros, Pro Bowls, 1,000-yard runners, 4,000-yard passers. As a lineman and as a football player, he's got all the hardware. If not all the attention. I loved watching him play football. I feel fortunate to have seen him play for the Vikings. He was one of the best. Thanks to the team's "Vikings Weekly" television program I feel fortunate to have gotten a little bit of a glimpse of Steve Hutchinson, the person. He comes across as a big, grumpy giant, but you can tell that he's really got a huge heart. He's earned his time of rest. I wish Steve Hutchinson and his family all the best in their years ahead. I thank him for the incredible football that he brought every week. He left no doubt, that he was one of the best.
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