michigan in the pros
michigan in the pros
Jeff Backus And Steve Hutchinson
Both Announce Retirements
F
By Chris Balas
ormer Michigan standout and
Detroit Lions tackle Jeff Backus
was said to be leaning toward re‑
turning to the Detroit Lions for a
13th year. Instead, he officially an‑
nounced his retirement in early
March, just days after former U‑M
teammate Steve Hutchinson had
made the same decision.
Backus, a first-round selection by
Detroit in 2001, set a franchise re‑
cord with 187 consecutive starts, a
streak that finally ended last season
on Thanksgiving Day against the
Houston Texans. He had one year
remaining on his contract.
"It's something that was not un‑
expected," Lions president Tom Le‑
wand told The Detroit News. "We've
Hutchinson started all 169 games he played during his 12-year NFL career, and he was a
seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All Pro.
photo courtesy minnesota vikings
