“If you would have told me prior to my graduation from the University of Michigan that I would be excited about standing in the middle of Ohio in August, I’d have said you were crazy.”
So said former Michigan All-American and four-time All-Big Ten offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson during his heartfelt speech while being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday in Canton, Ohio.
“But that is exactly the case,” an emotional Hutchinson admitted while thanking coaches past and present and his wife and two children.
He spent several minutes offering gratitude to former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and his old U-M teammates, including roommate and fellow NFL lineman Jeff Backus.
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“My college coach, Lloyd Carr, used to ask us, ‘where would you rather be? Well, coach, my answer is ‘nowhere,’ because as far as I’m concerned, there’s not a better place on Earth than Canton, Ohio today.
“… As I made my way from South Florida to Ann Arbor, I realized I had a lot to learn. Lloyd Carr was the perfect person to show me the way. Thank you, Coach. You showed us the importance of teamwork, tradition, and how to win and lose with class. Those of us that played for you truly had a mountaintop experience.”
He thanked quarterback Brian Griese, cornerback Charles Woodson, linebackers Rob Swett and Jarrett Irons, tight ends Aaron Shea and Jerame Tuman, center Steve Frazier, quarterback Tom Brady, running back Anthony Thomas offensive lineman Ben Mast, defensive lineman Eric Wilson and added “many, many more.”
“I thank you and I’m very grateful for all of you,” he said. “My roommate, Jeff Backus. I looked up to you more than you ever know. I thought I was tough, but not like you. You were more of a leader than you realized.
“To Scotty and the Passink family, thank you for being wonderful people. The late Jim and Bonnie Mandich as well as the rest of the Mandich family, you always treated me like family and we miss you two dearly. My position coaches — Terry Malone, Greg Mattison, Mike DeBord and Brady Hoke — technique was the foundation of my game, and ultimately why I’m standing here today.”
He also thanked strength coach Mike Gittleson.
Hutchinson played in the NFL from 2001 to 2012 with the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings and one year with the Tennessee Titans. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, five-time all-pros and a member of the NFL 2000s all-decade team.
Charles Woodson was slated to be inducted with the 2021 class Sunday night. Hutchinson was class of 2020, delayed a year due to COVID.
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