Olin Kreutz, one of the Chicago Bears all-time greatest centers, joined 2025 inductees Vernon Davis, Chris Draft, Leonard Marshall, Mark Collins, Garney Henley and Angela Biletnikoff into the Gridiron Greats Hall of Fame on May 30.

The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund  (GGAF) is a non-profit 501c organization that provides financial grants and pro bono medical assistance to retired NFL players in dire need. The organization was founded by former Bears Hall of Fame tight end and Super Bowl XX champion head coach Mike Ditka.

“Obviously, we know what the organization is about; it’s about helping players, the way they say it, in dire need,” Kreutz told me as he awaited his induction at the spacious Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Il.

“And we know it’s needed. Especially the older I get, you go through some of this…losing health insurance, getting your own health insurance, moving on to other aspects of dealing with the NFL, and just thinking about the guys who came before you. The (much smaller) amount their contracts were, and what they dealt with…. they actually are the ones who held out and got us all the retirement benefits we have.

“So it’s pretty obvious why this one is special, right? It’s what they stand for, and then they call you and you read about it, and you obviously… my age, I am now (47)…I have two boys (Josh and James) who are football players (at Illinois).”

Kreutz and his wife, Wendi, have six children.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 9, 1977, Kreutz was an All-American center at the University of Washington and became a third-round draft pick of the Bears after his junior year in 1998. He made six consecutive Pro Bowls during his stellar NFL career. He was a semi-finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

“I really enjoyed the game, felt blessed to just play, play in one place for so long, do all the things I did,” Kreutz said, “To play with all the teammates I played with, get to meet all the coaches I got to get coached by… it really was a blessing for me to play here.”

Kreutz, who now splits time coaching high school football and serving as a football analyst on WSCR-AM 670, said he also misses the camaraderie of his teammates and game day atmosphere.

“Yeah, you can never replace that, right? You can never replace the locker room and the jets flying over and the 70,000 people screaming and the game. And just the game between the lines.”

Kreutz knows there is a physical and mental price to be paid by current and former NFL players.

“We always talk about the safety issues in football, and rules changes, and things have improved,” Kreutz told me. “And yet there’s still a lot of serious injuries that result from playing this game. It’s a tough game, and you know it going in, and yet you still try to avoid it. Yeah, there’s nowhere to hide from the violence of the game. That’s probably why most guys play, they enjoy that part of it.

“But the NFL has so much now that they could help out some of the guys who are, you know, who have problems, who are in trouble. And I know that they say they have programs, but they could always do more. So an organization like this that stands for helping people… and I know it was started by different people like Coach Ditka. And I know Brian Urlacher sits on the executive board.”

Angela Biletnikoff, wife of former Raiders Hall of Fame receiver Fred Biletnikoff, received the Sylvia Mackey Woman of the Year Award for her commitment to helping women and children in need. Chris Draft, a 12-year NFL linebacker on numerous teams and now a cancer awareness advocate, was the recipient of the Marv Levy Impact Player Award. Garney Henley, a former Canadian Football League star, also was recognized via induction.

The event included a special tribute to former Bears defensive tackle and Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve “Mongo” McMichael, who passed away April 23rd from the ravages of ALS.

The event was emceed by John Tournour, a nationally syndicated sports talk host who goes by the name “J.T. the Brick, and renowned Chicago singer John Vincent provided the entertainment. Karen Wright, who thanked the many volunteers, organizers and sponsors of the event, is the executive director of Gridiron Greats.

The 2025 Hall of Fame class of the Gridiron Greats.

Fred Mitchell interviews former Chicago Bears center Olin Kreutz.