Steve Hutchinson

Steven J. Hutchinson (born November 1, 1977) is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the University of Michigan, and was named an All-American. The Seattle Seahawks picked Hutchinson in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft, and he has played professionally for the Seahawks and Vikings.

Early years
He attended Coral Springs High School in Coral Springs, Florida, and played high school football for the Coral Springs Colts. He graduated 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.

College career
He attended the University of Michigan, and played for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1996 to 2000. As a freshman, he originally entered fall practice as a defensive lineman. During his redshirt year in 1996, he moved from defensive tackle to offensive guard. Hutchinson excelled as a four-year starter, two-year captain, four-year All-Big Ten selection, two-time All-American, 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 shared the national championship with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Hutchinson did not allow a sack his final two seasons at Michigan.

Seattle Seahawks
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.

Minnesota Vikings
Hutchinson, 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. Because of this controversy, the NFL banned the use of "poison pills". Hutchinson played 48 straight games while with the Vikings, not missing one start. On December 21, 2010 Hutchinson was put on injury reserve by the Vikings. Hutchinson also ended the 2011 NFL Season on injured reserve.

During his 11-year NFL career, Hutchinson has started all 157 games that he's played in.

On March 10, 2012, the Minnesota Vikings announced that they had released Hutchinson.

Personal
Hutchinson married his high school sweetheart Landyn. The couple have 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. Steve Hutchinson loves "jammin" on his guitar, he played his heart out in front of the Tennessee Titans. Also "jammed" with the Hardy Boyz on one occasion. His family became close with Vikings legend John Randle's family in Seattle and remain good friends.