Chicago Bears Countdown to Kickoff: 57 Days with Olin Kreutz

Today we are only 57 days away from seeing the Chicago Bears open up the season at home versus the Green Bay Packers, meaning that today's edition of Chicago Bears Countdown to Kickoff will focus on the life and career of the best player in the team history to don the number 57, legendary center Olin Kreutz.

Olin Kreutz's path from Hawaii star to the Chicago Bears

A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Kreutz attended St. Louis School, where he became one of the most dominant athletes in the state. On the football field, Kreutz was a beast at the center position and earned All-State and All-American honors at the end of his senior season. Outside of serving as a captain and lettering on the gridiron, he was also a letterman for his school's wrestling and track and field teams. As a high schooler, Kreutz also won Hawaii's Heavyweight State Championship.

Following Kreutz's high school career, where he played with future NFL talent in Dominic Raiola and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, the center committed to the University of Washington to continue his athletic career. In the Pac-12, Kreutz impressed as early as his freshman season, where he was named the team's most outstanding freshman. The Hawaii native was able to start in both his sophomore and junior seasons and did so at a high level, earning First-Team All-Pac-12 nods in both seasons. As a junior, he was also named the Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year and was a Consensus All-American at the center position.

Kreutz elected to forgo his senior season and enter the 1998 NFL Draft, where he was widely considered to be the top center available. The Chicago Bears selected the Washington standout with the 64th overall pick near the top of the third round, making him the third-highest center drafted in his class.

Olin Kreutz becomes multi-time Pro Bowler with Chicago Bears

As a Bear, Kreutz effectively redshirted his rookie season and started in only one game for the team. In just his second season, however, Kreutz served as the team's full-time starting center for all 16 games. In 2000, Kreutz was limited to just seven starts due to injury, but he returned in 2001 with a fully healthy, dominant campaign that earned him his first Pro Bowl nomination.

Kreutz's 2001 season would become the norm during his time with Chicago, as it was his first of six Pro Bowl nominations. During this span, the center missed only one game, starting in every contest including the team's 2006 Super Bowl run. In 2005 and 2006, the Chicago Bears were able to post 10+ wins in back-to-back seasons, and Kreutz was rewarded for his efforts with All-Pro nominations following each campaign.

After the team's Super Bowl run, the unit couldn't quite reach their same level of greatness on the field, but Kreutz was as consistent as ever, and continued his streak of starting all 16 games for another four seasons through 2010. Following the 2010 season, Kreutz left the Chicago Bears as the team's longest-tenured player and signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints.

Olin Kreutz's legacy after the Chicago Bears

With the Saints, the center started in four of the team's first six games before being waved after an incident with quarterback Drew Brees. Kreutz had somewhat of a history of altercations including incidents in College and with the Chicago Bears. Following his release from the Saints, Kreutz retired from the NFL after a 14-year career, 13 of which were with the Bears. His 183 stars with the team just one behind the franchise's leader, Walter Payton.

Following his retirement from the NFL, the center has received a number of accolades, including an induction into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame and a nomination to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s. Kreutz has stayed close to the game of football since hanging it up in 2012, serving as a commentator and voice for 670 the Score as well as NBC Sports Chicago's Football Aftershow where he served as co-host alongside Lance Briggs, Matt Forte, Alex Brown, and Laurence Holmes.

Kreutz stepped away from the analysis scene last year but still remains close to the Bears players and organization. The former center even worked with current left tackle Braxton Jones over the offseason as he himself heads into his second season. Excitingly, Kreutz has recently been nominated to the College Football Hall of Fame and will learn later this year if he will be inducted or not.