Jason Hanson
Encyclopedia
Jason Douglas Hanson is an American football
placekicker
for the Detroit Lions
of the National Football League
, where he has spent his entire 20 year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round (56th overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft
. He has been a captain for the Lions for five straight years and holds the NFL record for the most games played with one team.
in Spokane, Washington
and lettered
in football
, soccer, track, and basketball
. As a senior, he 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.
, where he set or tied many NCAA
records. At WSU he was a teammate of quarterback
Drew Bledsoe
. Hanson's percentage of 57.1 for field goal
s from 50 yards or greater is both a school and Pacific-12 Conference record. He holds the record for most field goals from 50 yards or more (20), and 40 yards or more (39). His school records include most points scored (328), most games with two or more field goals (20), field goals (63), and PATs
(139). He received a bachelor of science degree in Premed.
by the Lions, for whom he still plays today. No NFL player has been with the same team as long as Hanson (305 games), setting the record in Week 2 of the 2011 season vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. With the trade of Brett Favre
, as well as the retirement of Michael Strahan
, Hanson is the last player to have played for the same team he played for prior to the advent of free agency
and the salary cap
in the NFL. Hanson is only the second placekicker the Lions have employed since the start of the 1980 season
.
Currently in his 20th season with the Lions, Hanson is the all-time longest-tenured Lion, and is the only one that was with the team for both its playoff runs in the 1990s as well as the team's now-infamous 0-16 campaign in 2008
. He is tied with both Jackie Slater and Darrell Green
(who each spent 20 seasons with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams
and Washington Redskins
, respectively) for the most consecutive seasons playing for one team. Slater, Green, and Lou Groza (whose 21-year career with the Browns was non-consecutive due to a brief one-year retirement) are all now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
Hanson is the team's all-time leader in scoring, with 1,981 points, and in field goals with 458, 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 scored 17 game-winning field goals in his career; eight in regulation and nine in overtime
.
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 field goal attempts, only missing one. After the late 2010 NFL season, Hanson has only missed eight extra points in his career, 5 of which were blocked.
On December 2, 2010, the Lions placed him on injured reserve due to an injured right knee.
Was named NFC Special Teams player of the month for September 2011 after kicking a perfect 8 of 8 field goals for the month. This is his fifth-career Special Teams Player of the Month award and his first since November of 2003.
all-time, with 1,981 points.
Hanson moved into eighth-place all-time on November 16, 2008 with 10 points against the Carolina Panthers
, for a total of 1,714 points.
Huskies. He and his wife, Kathleen, were married in 1992 and have three children together.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, where he has spent his entire 20 year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round (56th overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft
1992 NFL Draft
The 1992 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1992. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft...
. He has been a captain for the Lions for five straight years and holds the NFL record for the most games played with one team.
High school career
Hanson attended Mead Senior High SchoolMead Senior High School
Mead Senior High School is a public secondary school in Spokane, Washington. MHS is part of the Mead School District#354. Mead Senior High has an enrollment of around 1,650 students. Mead was the recent recipient of the U.S...
in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
and lettered
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, soccer, track, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. As a senior, he 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.
College career
Hanson attended Washington State UniversityWashington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
, where he set or tied many NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
records. At WSU he was a teammate of quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
. Hanson's percentage of 57.1 for field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
s from 50 yards or greater is both a school and Pacific-12 Conference record. He holds the record for most field goals from 50 yards or more (20), and 40 yards or more (39). His school records include most points scored (328), most games with two or more field goals (20), field goals (63), and PATs
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
(139). He received a bachelor of science degree in Premed.
Pro career
Hanson was selected in the second round (56th overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft1992 NFL Draft
The 1992 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1992. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft...
by the Lions, for whom he still plays today. No NFL player has been with the same team as long as Hanson (305 games), setting the record in Week 2 of the 2011 season vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. With the trade of Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
, as well as the retirement of Michael Strahan
Michael Strahan
Michael Anthony Strahan is a former National Football League defensive end who played his entire career for the New York Giants; a career where he set the record for the most sacks in a single season and won a Super Bowl in his final year. He is currently a football analyst on Fox NFL Sunday, and...
, Hanson is the last player to have played for the same team he played for prior to the advent of free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
and the salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
in the NFL. Hanson is only the second placekicker the Lions have employed since the start of the 1980 season
1980 Detroit Lions season
-Roster:-Awards and records:* Billy Sims, Pro Bowl selection -Roster:-Awards and records:* Billy Sims, Pro Bowl selection -Roster:-Awards and records:* Billy Sims, Pro Bowl selection (1980* Billy Sims, 1980 Offensive Rookie of the Year* Billy Sims, 1980 UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year* Billy Sims,...
.
Currently in his 20th season with the Lions, Hanson is the all-time longest-tenured Lion, and is the only one that was with the team for both its playoff runs in the 1990s as well as the team's now-infamous 0-16 campaign in 2008
2008 Detroit Lions season
The 2008 Detroit Lions season was the 79th season for the franchise in the National Football League. Although the Lions had a flawless preseason with a 4-0 record, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to compile an 0-16 record in regular season play. They were mathematically eliminated...
. He is tied with both Jackie Slater and Darrell Green
Darrell Green
Darrell Ray Green is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins from 1983 to 2002. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play football...
(who each spent 20 seasons with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, respectively) for the most consecutive seasons playing for one team. Slater, Green, and Lou Groza (whose 21-year career with the Browns was non-consecutive due to a brief one-year retirement) are all now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
Hanson is the team's all-time leader in scoring, with 1,981 points, and in field goals with 458, and holds a variety of other team records for kicking and scoring. He represented the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
in the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in 1998 and 1999, and was an alternate in 1997 and 2008. He has scored 17 game-winning field goals in his career; eight in regulation and nine in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
.
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 field goal attempts, only missing one. After the late 2010 NFL season, Hanson has only missed eight extra points in his career, 5 of which were blocked.
On December 2, 2010, the Lions placed him on injured reserve due to an injured right knee.
Was named NFC Special Teams player of the month for September 2011 after kicking a perfect 8 of 8 field goals for the month. This is his fifth-career Special Teams Player of the Month award and his first since November of 2003.
All-Time NFL scoring list
As of 21 November 2011, Hanson ranks as the seventh leading scorerNFL career scoring leaders
The top 25 scorers in National Football League history are listed below. All players listed are placekickers.Active players are listed in bold...
all-time, with 1,981 points.
Hanson moved into eighth-place all-time on November 16, 2008 with 10 points against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, for a total of 1,714 points.
NFL records
- Most field goals (50 or more yards) (total) - 49
- Most field goals (50 or more yards) in a season - 8 (tied with Morten AndersenMorten AndersenMorten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
) - Became the second player in league history to score 200+ points against 3 different teams (Packers, Bears, Vikings)
- Most career games with one NFL team (303)
Personal life
His brother Travis was a kicker for the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
Huskies. He and his wife, Kathleen, were married in 1992 and have three children together.