Getty Steve Hutchinson was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 7, 2021.
Legendary Minnesota Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson’s NFL legacy has officially been cemented.
Hutchinson, a member of the 2020 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was enshrined on Saturday, putting on the coveted yellow jacket for the first time after a 12-year NFL career.
He made seven Pro Bowl appearances and five first-team All-Pro mentions in his career. Hutchinson blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher 11 of his 12 seasons and helped Adrian Peterson set a single-game record of 296 rushing yards against the San Diego Chargers in 2007.
Hutchinson is the 21st guard in NFL history and the 15th Vikings player enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Several Vikings and NFL figures congratulated Hutchinson on Saturday, including Randy Moss, Peterson, Chad Greenway and Tom Brady.
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‘Congratulations, Big Fella’
Minnesota pieced together several congratulatory videos sent to Hutchinson before his enshrinement on Saturday. Some of his friends and former teammates were also there on Saturday to congratulate him personally.
Here’s the video, along with transcriptions of a few notable figures throughout Hutchinson’s career.
Legendary shoutouts for the newest member of the @ProFootballHOF, @HutchSevenSix.
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Randy Moss:
“Steve Hutchinson, man, the time is over! I remember a few years ago, man, me and you sitting down at that banquet, and you said, ‘Moss, when I put the Hall of Fame jacket on, it will be complete.’ Well, Mr. Hutchinson, as the old teammate, congratulations. We are now teammates for life. Well-deserved. Great career. Congratulations, big fella.”
Adrian Peterson:
“Hey, what’s up, Hutch? I just wanted to take a moment to say congratulations and let you know that I’m honored and proud that you’re in the position you’re in right now. You gave this league 12 years of playing at a high level, and I was blessed to be a part of that for five years in Minnesota.
“You were durable, you were accountable, you were physical, you were technically sound. You were one of those guys that did it the right way every time you stepped on that field. Your presence was felt. When I lined up behind you, I knew when I ran to the left side, I had no worries. That’s just a testament to why you’re in the position you’re in now. I’m so pumped up for you. You deserve it.
“I’ll never forget my rookie year against San Diego, going into the locker room at halftime, we had 43 yards rushing. I remember looking at you guys and you weren’t fazed because you knew there were opportunities that had presented themselves. A lot of them came on the left side, and I screwed the play up because I wasn’t being patient, and not once did you get upset. You just told me to keep on pounding. We came out in the second half and rushed for 253 yards, and 161 of those came from your side. You’re talking about a guy that dominated the game at a high level for a long time — that was you. It was just an honor to play with you, brother. I love you, and God bless you.”
Tom Brady:
“Hutch, what’s up? Congratulations on the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We’ve known each other, man, going back 25 years and I’m so proud of you all that you’ve accomplished in life, on and off the field. You’re a great example to all of us pro athletes about how to do things the right way. Glad to see you’re going to be enshrined this weekend. I’ll be there in person and look forward to seeing you. Best always, take care.”
Chad Greenway:
Tremendous amount of respect for Steve and how he played the game and what he stood for… I really emulated what he did with his family and how he interacted. Just a great dude. Rough around the edges, but I always respected the way he approached the game.
Rick Spielman:
“It’s incredible just to be here and see someone so deserving go into the Hall of Fame. Not only is he a great player, but he’s an even better human being, and to see him being honored for his career in Seattle and Minnesota, I feel honored just to be here.”
Hutchinson Shares Earnest Moment on Stage
Hutchinson unrolled the long list of thank yous to everyone throughout his career during his enshrinement speech before sharing an earnest moment with the audience.
Thanking his family for their support throughout his life, the broad-shouldered, 6-foot-5 behemoth of a man had to fight off tears while reflecting on his family’s growth over the years.
Here’s the clip from his speech:
