Olin Kreutz

Olin George Kreutz (born June 9, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons. He played college football for University of Washington, and earned All-American honors. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Bears and New Orleans Saints of the NFL.

Early years
Kreutz was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the youngest of four sons born to Henry Kreutz, Jr., of Aina Haina. He attended football powerhouse Saint Louis School in Honolulu, where he lettered in high school football. He also excelled in wrestling and track and field. He received All-State and SuperPrep All-America honors while serving as football team captain during his senior year, and would additionally go on to win the Hawaii state wrestling heavyweight championship.

College career
Kreutz attended the University of Washington, where he played for the Washington Huskies football team under coach Jim Lambright. Olin was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American and earned Pac-10 honors during his junior year, after which he elected to turn pro.

1998 NFL Draft
According to Sports Illustrated, Kreutz was the No. 1 center available in the 1998 NFL Draft. He was described as "a good technician" who "has all the physical tools to be a solid NFL player" while being able to "handle really big NT and DT." The Chicago Bears drafted Kreutz in the third round, 64th overall.

Chicago Bears
Over his twelve-year career, Kreutz has been selected to six Pro Bowls, and was one of the team's most consistent offensive linemen. In an incident eerily reminiscent of his college days, Kreutz drew controversy during the 2005 NFL season after breaking the jaw of fellow offensive lineman Fred Miller during an off-practice outing. The NFL fined both players $50,000. On October 2006, Kreutz was signed to a three-year contract extension through the 2010 season. In 2007, Kreutz was appointed as one of the team's captains.

In 2011, Kreutz chose to end his career with the Chicago Bears after turning down an offer of $4 million for one year. Kreutz was the longest tenured Bears members at the time he left the organization.

New Orleans Saints
On August 5, 2011, Kreutz signed with the New Orleans Saints for a one year $2 million contract with an additional $2 million in incentives. Kreutz played in four of the Saints' first six games, missing the other two with a knee injury. He then decided to quit the team, saying that he had lost his "passion" for the game; the Saints were reportedly planning to move him to the "left team" list. He was waived after leaving the squad on October 22.

Personal life
Kreutz is married to his high school sweetheart, Wendi; they have four children.