The Wolverine continues its series of the top 25 Michigan players since 1997 with No. 5, Steve Hutchinson.
A four-year starter for the Wolverines, Hutchinson was a redshirt freshman on the 1997 National Championship team. Hutchinson, a Florida native, played his high school football at Coral Springs High. He redshirted his first year in Ann Arbor, during which he transitioned from defensive tackle to offensive line.
Hutchinson was a starter on the offensive line following his redshirt year and never gave up his spot throughout the next four seasons. During the 1997 season, Hutchinson blocked for Chris Howard and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Anthony Thomas. The Wolverines notched wins of six points or more over rivals Notre Dame, Michigan State and Ohio State on their way to a National Championship that year.
Following the championship season, the Wolverines opened the 1998 season with consecutive losses before going on a 10-1 run to finish out the year, including a Citrus Bowl victory over Arkansas to cap the season. Over the next two seasons, Hutchinson and Michigan went 19-5, with victories in the Orange Bowl and the Citrus Bowl, as well as a share of the conference championship in 2000. During the final two seasons of his Michigan career, Hutchinson did not concede a single sack.
Hutchinson earned All-Big Ten honors each of his four seasons on the field as a Wolverine and was a unanimous All-American and the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2000.
In the 2001 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected Hutchinson No. 17 overall, one pick ahead of teammate Jeff Backus. Hutchinson played from 2001 through the 2005 season with the Seahawks before signing as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason prior to the 2006 NFL season. He joined the Tennessee Titans in 2012 after the Vikings released him and retired the next year. Hutchinson started each of the 169 games he played in his NFL career and was named to seven straight Pro Bowls from 2003-2009. He was named a first team All-Pro five times and second team two other years, as well as the NFL 2000's All-Decade team.
The full list:
No. 6: LaMarr Woodley
No. 7: Brandon Graham
No. 8: Chris Perry
No. 9: Anthony Thomas
No. 10: Leon Hall
No. 11: Chad Henne
No. 14: Denard Robinson
No. 15: Marlin Jackson
No. 16: Glen Steele
No. 17: David Baas
No. 18: Jourdan Lewis
No. 19: David Harris
No. 20: Ernest Shazor
No. 21: John Navarre
No. 22: Jake Butt
No. 23: David Molk
No. 24: Taco Charlton
No. 25: Jeremy Gallon
