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Seahawks Legend Steve Hutchinson Elected into Pro Football Hall of Fame

A five-time First-Team All-Pro selection and seven-time Pro Bowler, Hutchinson earned his rightful place among football royalty and will be inducted to Canton in August.

Corbin K. Smith

The third time proved to be the charm, as Steve Hutchinson is officially Canton bound.

Hutchinson, who missed the cut as a finalist each of the past two years, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Joining him as part of a five-player modern-era class for 2020, safety Steve Atwater, running back Edgerrin James, safety Troy Polamalu, and receiver Issac Bruce were also elected.

Drafted by the Seahawks in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft, Hutchinson became an immediate starter at left guard alongside Hall of Fame tackle Walter Jones, forming one of the best blocking tandems in NFL history. Starting in 2003, the ex-Michigan standout played in three consecutive Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro twice.

Dominating opponents alongside Jones as a mauling run blocker, Hutchinson paved the way for Shaun Alexander’s record-breaking season in 2005. Winning MVP honors, Alexander rushed for a league-best 1,880 yards and scored a then-record 27 rushing touchdowns as the Seahawks marched to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.

Set to hit free agency, Hutchinson hoped to return to Seattle and make anoth. Unfortunately, general manager Tim Ruskell chose to use the transition tag on the star guard and thanks to the infamous “poison pill” provision, he signed a long-term deal with Minnesota that the team couldn’t match.

Following his departure, the Seahawks struggled to replace Hutchinson, who played in four straight Pro Bowls and earned three additional First-Team All-Pro selections during his first four seasons with the Vikings. After two more stellar seasons in Minnesota, he wrapped up his career with one season in Tennessee before announcing his retirement.

In 12 NFL seasons with the Seahawks, Vikings, and Titans, Hutchinson helped block for a 1,000-yard rusher 11 times. Alexander surpassed the century mark in five consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2005, while Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, and Chris Johnson combined for six 1,000-plus yard seasons running behind him.

After earning All-Pro distinction five times in a six-year span, Hutchinson was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 2000s.

Set to be inducted in August, Hutchinson becomes the fifth player drafted by the Seahawks in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining Jones, Cortez Kennedy, Kenny Easley, and Kevin Mawae.

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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