Jason Hanson

Jason Hanson
refer to caption
Hanson at the 2012 Lions training camp
No. 4
Position:Placekicker
Personal information
Born: (1970-06-17) June 17, 1970 (age 54)
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:Mead (Spokane, Washington)
College:Washington State (1988–1991)
NFL draft:1992 / round: 2 / pick: 56
Career history
Career highlights and awards
NFL records
  • Most seasons played with one team: 21 (Detroit Lions)
  • Most games played with one team: 327 (Detroit Lions)
Career NFL statistics
Field goals made:495
Field goals attempted:601
Field goal %:82.4
Longest field goal:56
Points scored:2,150
Stats at Pro Football Reference
College Football Hall of Fame

Jason Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Washington State Cougars, he was selected by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL draft with the 56th overall pick. Hanson holds the NFL record for the most seasons played with one team and also holds multiple kicking and scoring records. Due to his longevity and statistical success, even on many non-playoff teams, Hanson is often cited as one of the most-loved players in Detroit Lions franchise history.[1][2][3]

High school career

Born in Spokane, Washington, Hanson graduated from Mead High School in 1988, where he lettered in football, basketball, and soccer. As a senior, Hanson won All-Greater Spokane League honors as both a kicker and punter and was named a first-team All-State honoree by the Washington Sportswriters Association. In the classroom at Mead, he maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average.[4]

College career

Hanson attended Washington State University in Pullman, where he walked-on as a freshman in 1988 and made an immediate impact with the Cougars;[5][6] he was named to The Sporting News Freshman All-American team.[7] Hanson set or tied many NCAA records, and his percentage of 57.1 for field goals from 50 yards or greater remains a Pac-12 Conference record. He holds the record for most field goals from 50 yards or more (20), and 40 yards or more (39). Hanson's school records include most points scored (328), longest field goal (62 yards), most games with two or more field goals (20), field goals (63), and PATs (139). He was also the punter at WSU during his final two seasons, and was a teammate of quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who arrived in 1990.[8] Hanson earned a Bachelor of Science degree from WSU in pre-med studies,[9] with 3.78 grade point average.[10] Hanson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.[11]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight
5 ft 11+3⁄4 in
(1.82 m) 		183 lb
(83 kg)
All values from NFL Combine[12]

Hanson was selected in the second round of the 1992 NFL draft by the Lions, the 56th overall pick.[13] On October 21, 2001, Hanson had a 47 yard field goal blocked against the Tennessee Titans which was returned for 69 yard touchdown by Donald Mitchell.[14]

Hanson in 2001

Hanson retired from the Lions in 2013; no NFL player played as many games (327) with the same team as Hanson, breaking the old record of 296 held by Bruce Matthews in Week 2 of the 2011 season vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. At the beginning of the 2012 season, he set the record for most years with the same club with 21 seasons.[15]

On December 14, 2008, against the Indianapolis Colts, Hanson passed Morten Andersen for most 50+ yard field goals in NFL history. Hanson again had a good year, ending the 2008 NFL season 21-for-22 on field goal attempts (including 8 for 8 from 50+ yards) and 25-for-26 on extra point attempts. Statistically, this was the second best season of Hanson's career with respect to field goal attempts; he missed only one. After the late 2010 NFL season, Hanson had missed only eight extra points in his career, five of which were blocked.

On December 2, 2010, the Lions placed him on injured reserve due to an injured right knee.[16]

Hanson was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September 2011 after kicking a perfect 8 of 8 field goals. It was his fifth-career Special Teams Player of the Month award and his first since November 2003.

Hanson is the team's all-time leader in scoring, with 2,150 points, and in field goals with 495, and holds a variety of other team records for kicking and scoring. He represented the NFC in the Pro Bowl in 1998 and 1999, and was an alternate in 1997 and 2008. He has booted 17 game-winning field goals in his career; eight in regulation and nine in overtime.

On April 4, 2013, Hanson announced his retirement.[17] At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest active player in the NFL, the last player to have played for the same team he played for prior to the advent of free agency, and the last active player to play at Milwaukee County Stadium.

Hanson was named the 2002 recipient of the Detroit Lions/Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association/Pro Football Writers Association's (PFWA) Media-Friendly "Good Guy" Award. The Good Guy Award is given yearly to the Detroit Lions player who shows consideration to, and cooperation with the media at all times during the course of the season. Hanson was also named Offensive Rookie Of The Year by the PFWA in 1992. As of 2024, he remains the only NFL kicker ever awarded that distinction.[18][19]

The Detroit Lions inducted him into the Ring of Honor in fall 2013 at Ford Field for his success and dedication to Detroit Lions football.[20]

Career regular season statistics

Career high/best bolded

Career awards and honors

College awards

NFL awards

NFL records

  • Most field goals of 40 or more yards (career) – 189[21][30]
  • Most consecutive field goals of 40 or more yards – 24 (2007–09)[30]
  • Most career game winning field goals in overtime – 9 (tied with Jason Elam, Jim Breech, and Steve Christie)
  • Most career games with one NFL team – 327 (1992–2012)[15][31]
  • Most career seasons with one NFL team – 21 (1992–2012)[32]
  • Most career points with one NFL team – 2,150[31]
  • First player in NFL history to score 2,000 points with one franchise[32]

Detroit Lions franchise records

  • Most career points scored – 2,150[33]

Other

Personal life

Hanson and his wife, Kathleen, were married in 1992 and have three children. His younger brother Travis was a kicker for the rival University of Washington Huskies, and was a member of the 1991 national championship team.[37] Hanson is a Christian.[38]

References

  1. ^ "Detroit Lions: 30 greatest players in franchise history". October 23, 2018. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  2. ^ "Who is the Second-Most Beloved Detroit Lion of All Time?". June 7, 2019. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  3. ^ "POLL: Which former Lion most deserves Hall of Fame induction?". August 6, 2017. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  4. ^ Taylor, Kevin (June 1, 1988). "Lemery, Hanson are top scholar-athletes". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D3. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  5. ^ Bergum, Steve (September 13, 1988). "There's something special about Mead's Hanson". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. B1. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  6. ^ Grummert, Dale (September 15, 1989). "Not your average kicker". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  7. ^ Bergum, Steve (August 26, 1989). "Coach helps Coug kicker toe mark". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. B1. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  8. ^ Murphy, Austin (October 21, 1991). "Best in his field". Sports Illustrated. p. 54. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  9. ^ Weaver, Dan (June 25, 2001). "He gets his kicks". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  10. ^ "More awards for Hanson". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 22, 1991. p. 2B. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  11. ^ "NFF Announces Storied 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT". National Football Foundation. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  12. ^ "Jason Hanson, Combine Results, K - Washington State". nflcombineresults.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  13. ^ "1992 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  14. ^ Tennessee Titans (October 18, 2019). Donald Mitchell's 69-yard TD Return Off Blocked FG | Fireball Flashbacks: Oct. 21, 2001. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ a b "Mind-blowing stats for the Detroit Lions". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  16. ^ Detroit Lions place kicker Jason Hanson on injured reserve – ESPN Chicago . Sports.espn.go.com (December 3, 2010). Retrieved on November 28, 2013.
  17. ^ Lions kicker Jason Hanson retires after 21 seasons Archived October 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine USA Today, April 4, 2013
  18. ^ PFWA Staff. "Offensive Rookie of the Year". Pro Football Writers Of America. Published by the PFWA. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  19. ^ PFWA Staff. "PFWA Record Book" (PDF). Pro Football Writers of America. Published by the PFWA. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022. The PFWA began naming Offensive Rookie Of The Year in 1992. Since 1966, 4 rookie placekickers and 5 rookie punters have been similarly distinguished by being named to the PFWA All-NFL team (see page 23).
  20. ^ Detroit Lions induct Jason Hanson into ring of honor during retirement press conference Archived April 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. MLive.com (April 9, 2013). Retrieved on November 28, 2013.
  21. ^ a b c "Jason Hanson (2020) – Hall of Fame". National Football Foundation. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  22. ^ a b c "Inductee | Jason Hanson 2020". College Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  23. ^ "Jason Hanson (1991) – Hall of Fame". National Football Foundation. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  24. ^ a b "Jason Hanson Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  25. ^ "PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year Winners". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  26. ^ "1992 NFL All-Rookie Team". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  27. ^ Richardson, Anwar S. (April 9, 2013). "Detroit Lions induct Jason Hanson into ring of honor during retirement press conference". MLive Media Group. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  28. ^ Duff, Bob (November 7, 2008). "Lions to honour 75th anniversary team Sunday". Windsor Star. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  29. ^ Reisman, Jeremy (September 29, 2019). "Detroit Lions announce All-Time Team, including Matthew Stafford". Pride of Detroit. SB Nation. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  30. ^ a b Raven, Benjamin (July 7, 2020). "Top 10 field goal leaders in Detroit Lions history". MLive Media Group. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  31. ^ a b OHara, Mike (July 5, 2020). "Where are they now: Jason Hanson". Detroit Lions. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  32. ^ a b "Lions kicker Jason Hanson retires after 21 seasons". CBC. Associated Press. April 4, 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  33. ^ "Detroit Lions Career Scoring Summary Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  34. ^ "Jason Hanson (2001) – Hall of Fame". Washington State University Athletics. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  35. ^ "Jason Hanson". Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  36. ^ "2019 Inductees – Washington Sports Hall of Fame". State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  37. ^ Rockne, Dan (September 17, 1992). "(Travis) Hanson set to get his kicks". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  38. ^ Bouffard, Karen (September 17, 1992). "Ex-Lions kicker Hanson shares his faith, inspires men". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.