 Hanson with theDetroit Lions in 2012 | |||||||||||||
| No. 4 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Placekicker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1970-06-17)June 17, 1970 (age 55) Spokane, Washington, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Mead (Spokane, Washington) | ||||||||||||
| College | Washington State (1988–1991) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1992: 2nd round, 56th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Jason Douglas Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professionalfootball player who was aplacekicker who spent his entire 21-year career with theDetroit Lions of theNational Football League (NFL). After playingcollege football with theWashington State Cougars, he was selected by the Lions in the second round of the1992 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]
Born inSpokane, Washington,[4][5] Hanson graduated fromMead High School in 1988, where helettered infootball,basketball, andsoccer. As a senior, Hanson won All-Greater Spokane League honors as both a kicker andpunter 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.[6]
Hanson attendedWashington State University inPullman, where hewalked-on as a freshman in1988 and made an immediate impact with theCougars;[7][8] he was named toThe Sporting NewsFreshman All-American team.[9] Hanson set or tied manyNCAA records, and his percentage of 57.1 forfield goals from 50 yards or greater remains aPac-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), andPATs (139). He was also the punter at WSU during his final two seasons, and was a teammate ofquarterbackDrew Bledsoe, who arrived in1990.[10] Hanson earned aBachelor of Science degree from WSU inpre-med studies,[11] with 3.78 grade point average.[12] Hanson was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2020.[13]
| Height | Weight | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft11+3⁄4 in (1.82 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | |||||||||||
| All values fromNFL Combine[14] | ||||||||||||
Hanson was selected in the second round of the1992 NFL draft by the Lions, the 56th overall pick.[15] On October 21, 2001, Hanson had a 47 yard field goal blocked against theTennessee Titans which was returned for 69 yard touchdown byDonald Mitchell.[16]
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 byBruce 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.[17]
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.[18]
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.[19]
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 theNFC in thePro 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 inovertime.
On April 4, 2013, Hanson announced his retirement.[20] 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 offree agency, and the last active player to play atMilwaukee 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.[21][22]
The Detroit Lions inducted him into the Ring of Honor in fall 2013 atFord Field for his success and dedication toDetroit Lions football.[23]
Career high/bestbolded
| Regular season statistics | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team (record) | G | FGM | FGA | % | <20 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50+ | LNG | BLK | XPM | XPA | % | PTS |
| 1992 | DET (5–11) | 16 | 21 | 26 | 80.8 | 0–0 | 5–5 | 10–10 | 4–6 | 2–5 | 52 | 1 | 30 | 30 | 100.0 | 93 |
| 1993 | DET (10–6) | 16 | 34 | 43 | 79.1 | 1–1 | 8–8 | 15–15 | 7–12 | 3–7 | 53 | 1 | 28 | 28 | 100.0 | 130 |
| 1994 | DET (9–7) | 16 | 18 | 27 | 66.7 | 0–0 | 6–7 | 7–7 | 5–8 | 0–5 | 49 | 3 | 39 | 40 | 97.5 | 93 |
| 1995 | DET (10–6) | 16 | 28 | 34 | 82.4 | 2–2 | 4–4 | 16–17 | 5–10 | 1–1 | 56 | 3 | 48 | 48 | 100.0 | 132 |
| 1996 | DET (5–11) | 16 | 12 | 17 | 70.6 | 0–0 | 4–4 | 4–5 | 3–4 | 1–3 | 51 | 1 | 36 | 36 | 100.0 | 72 |
| 1997 | DET (9–7) | 16 | 26 | 29 | 89.7 | 0–0 | 10–10 | 8–9 | 5–5 | 3–5 | 55 | 0 | 39 | 40 | 97.5 | 117 |
| 1998 | DET (5–11) | 16 | 29 | 33 | 87.9 | 0–0 | 8–8 | 7–7 | 13–15 | 1–3 | 51 | 2 | 27 | 29 | 93.1 | 114 |
| 1999 | DET (8–8) | 16 | 26 | 32 | 81.3 | 0–0 | 8–8 | 4–4 | 10–12 | 4–8 | 52 | 0 | 28 | 29 | 96.6 | 106 |
| 2000 | DET (9–7) | 16 | 24 | 30 | 80.0 | 2–2 | 6–7 | 10–12 | 4–7 | 2–2 | 54 | 2 | 29 | 29 | 100.0 | 101 |
| 2001 | DET (2–14) | 16 | 21 | 30 | 70.0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 8–8 | 6–12 | 4–7 | 54 | 1 | 23 | 23 | 100.0 | 86 |
| 2002 | DET (3–13) | 16 | 23 | 28 | 82.1 | 0–0 | 8–8 | 8–9 | 7–8 | 0–3 | 49 | 0 | 31 | 31 | 100.0 | 100 |
| 2003 | DET (5–11) | 16 | 22 | 23 | 95.7 | 0–0 | 7–7 | 6–6 | 5–6 | 4–4 | 54 | 0 | 26 | 27 | 96.3 | 92 |
| 2004 | DET (6–10) | 16 | 24 | 28 | 85.7 | 0–0 | 9–9 | 10–11 | 5–8 | 0–0 | 48 | 0 | 28 | 28 | 100.0 | 100 |
| 2005 | DET (5–11) | 15 | 19 | 24 | 79.2 | 1–1 | 9–9 | 3–3 | 4–7 | 2–4 | 52 | 1 | 27 | 27 | 100.0 | 84 |
| 2006 | DET (3–13) | 16 | 29 | 33 | 87.9 | 1–1 | 12–12 | 6–6 | 7–8 | 3–6 | 53 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 100.0 | 117 |
| 2007 | DET (7–9) | 16 | 29 | 35 | 82.9 | 1–1 | 4–5 | 10–12 | 11–13 | 3–4 | 53 | 3 | 35 | 36 | 97.2 | 122 |
| 2008 | DET (0–16) | 16 | 21 | 22 | 95.5 | 0–0 | 3–3 | 4–5 | 6–6 | 8–8 | 56 | 2 | 25 | 26 | 96.2 | 88 |
| 2009 | DET (2–14) | 16 | 21 | 28 | 75.0 | 0–0 | 5–5 | 8–9 | 8–11 | 1–4 | 50 | 0 | 25 | 25 | 100.0 | 88 |
| 2010 | DET (6–10) | 8 | 12 | 14 | 85.7 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 4–4 | 4–5 | 3–4 | 52 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 100.0 | 55 |
| 2011 | DET (10–6) | 16 | 24 | 29 | 82.8 | 0–0 | 9–9 | 8–9 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 51 | 1 | 54 | 54 | 100.0 | 126 |
| 2012 | DET (4–12) | 16 | 32 | 36 | 88.9 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 10–10 | 16–19 | 2–3 | 53 | 0 | 38 | 38 | 100.0 | 134 |
| Career (21 seasons) | 327 | 495 | 601 | 82.4 | 10–10 | 131–134 | 166–178 | 137–186 | 52–93 | 56 | 21 | 665 | 673 | 98.8 | 2150 | |
Hanson and his wife, Kathleen, were married in 1992 and have three children. His younger brother Travis was a kicker for the rivalUniversity of WashingtonHuskies, and was a member of the1991 national championship team.[40] Hanson is aChristian.[41]
