If you want a professional opinion of how Kansas City Chiefs rookie guard Trey Smith is performing this season, you couldn’t do too much better than Steve Hutchinson.
A former NFL guard, Hutchinson was drafted in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks back in 2001 with the 17th overall pick. Hutchinson was pretty good in college at Michigan, winning a National Championship in 1997 and nabbing Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2000, as well as All-American honors. In the NFL, Hutchinson landed himself seven Pro Bowls, was a 5x First-team All-Pro, and a 2x Second-team All-Pro. He was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade team. Oh yeah, and in 2020, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Not a bad resume, eh?
Recently, Hutchinson spoke with Dean Jones from over at the FanSided site The Viking Age. Dean asked Hutchinson about the play of Trey Smith and Hutch had nothing but good things to say.
“There’s a ton of great linemen in the league right now,” said Hutchinson. “But when you like at a guy like Trey Smith, a first-round talent who had some problems with injuries, for him to come in as a late-round pick and make the difference he has is outstanding. He is fantastic from a technical standpoint and you only have to see how well he has done this season to see what a special player he is. If I was going to offer advice to any young lineman, it’s watch Trey I was a huge fan of Smith’s coming out of college and he’s going to have a great career.”
High praise from an all-time great. Let’s hope Trey Smith and continue his high-level play.
Hutchinson is part of the The Lowe’s Home Team, which consists of 12 current and former NFL players, Lowe’s red vest associates, and 8,000 fans coming together to tackle critical repair projects in NFL markets and communities in need. As part of his role on the Home Team, Steve will be building a tiny home village in Seattle that will temporarily house up to 50 residents at a time, with the help of Sound Foundations NW and Tiny Homes.