Steve Hutchinson (American football)

Steve Hutchinson

Minnesota Vikings
Career information
College:	Michigan
NFL draft:	2001 / round: 1 / pick: 17
Career history
Seattle Seahawks (2001–2005) Minnesota Vikings (2006–present)
Career highlights and awards
7× Pro Bowl selection (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) 6× First-team All-Pro selection (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) 1× Second-team All-Pro selection (2004)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2008
Games played: 116 Games started: 116 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Steven J. Hutchinson (born November 1, 1977 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is a National Football League offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings.

High school and college career

He attended and graduated from Coral Springs High School in 1996. In 2007 he was named to FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football.

and then the University of Michigan, where he excelled as a four year starter, two year captain, four year All-Big Ten selection, two-time All-American selection, Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year winner, and Outland Trophy finalist. He also won the Jim Parker Award from the Touchdown Club of Columbus. As a freshman, he started on the 1997 Michigan team that won the National Championship.

Professional career

Hutchinson in 2009 NFC Wild Card Game

Drafted in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, Hutchinson spent his first five seasons with that team. In March 2006, Hutchinson, a free agent, was designated as Seattle's transition player. He then signed a controversial offer sheet from the Vikings, for $49 million over seven years, believed to be the richest contract ever offered a guard. The offer sheet, though, contained a poison pill provision that would have guaranteed his entire salary if he was not the highest-paid lineman on the team.

NFL rules require that when a team uses its transition tag on a player, they must either exactly match a competing offer sheet or relinquish their rights to that player. While the tag is unlikely to be triggered during his time with the Vikings (which means he is unlikely to see the entire $49 million), the Seahawks had recently given tackle Walter Jones a contract richer than the one offered to Hutchinson. Thus, they would have triggered the "poison pill" clause immediately, and would have been forced, by NFL rules, to guarantee Hutchinson's entire salary. Since doing so would have destroyed their salary cap, they could not match the offer. Moreover, since they only used their transition tag, rather than naming Hutchinson a franchise player, they received no compensation from Minnesota for their loss. Seattle retaliated, though, by signing Minnesota wide receiver Nate Burleson to an offer sheet containing a similar ploy. These contracts prompted criticism of the legality of this maneuver, but no action has been taken to ban such clauses from contracts. Hutchinson has played 48 straight games while with the Vikings, not missing one start.

Hutchinson in 2009 NFC Wild Card Game

Personal

Hutchinson is married to Landyn, the couple has a daughter, Lily and a son, Luke, he keeps a vacation home in Key Largo, Florida. He is an avid hunter and fisherman, Hutchinson finds himself at home on many of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. His family became close with Vikings legend John Randle family in Seattle and remain good friends.

External links

• NFL.com profile
• University of Michigan profile
• Vikings Bio