10 best University of Michigan alumni in NFL history

10 best Michigan alumni in NFL history

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks to pass against the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO – NOVEMBER 14: Steve Hutchinson #76 of the Minnesota Vikings blocks during an NFL game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, November 14, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears won 27-13. (Photo by Tom Dahlin/Getty Images) /

3. Steve Hutchinson

It should tell you something about the style as well as the legacy of Michigan football. Of the 10 players on this list, four played on the offensive line. Guard Tom Mack and versatile Dan Dierdorf are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Perhaps Mike Kenn will wind up with a bust in Canton, Ohio, down the road.

So is standout guard Steve Hutchinson, who certainly made his mark in professional football with the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans.

He was the 17th overall pick in 2001 and started every game for the team in four of his five seasons with the club. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound blocker was named to the Pro Bowl three straight years from 2003-05 and earned All-Pro honors in his last year with the club.

How Hutchinson went from the Pacific Northwest to the Twin Cities in 2006 is both complicated and fascinating (see Mark Craig of the Star Tribune). Regardless, he thrived with the Vikings. His first four seasons with the Purple Gang saw him named to the Pro Bowl every year and he earned All-Pro accolades three times.

After two more seasons with the Vikings, Hutchinson’s final season in the NFL was with the Tennessee Titans in 2012. Eight years later, he was enshrined in Canton.

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