Jason Hanson
The ultimate Detroit Lion, a model of quiet precision whose record-breaking leg provided two decades of rare reliability for a struggling franchise.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American football player·Birthday: June 17·Generation X
Biography
Jason Hanson's career is a monument to consistency in a league defined by chaos. Drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1992, he became a fixed point in a universe of constant change, outlasting coaches, quarterbacks, and entire roster generations. While the team often floundered, Hanson's right leg was a source of guaranteed points, his textbook mechanics producing a stream of field goals and extra points with metronomic accuracy. He played through the transformation of the NFL, from grass to turf, in domes and in the bitter cold of late-season Green Bay. His loyalty was reciprocated by fans who saw in his humble professionalism and clutch kicks a reason to believe. When he retired after 21 seasons—all in Honolulu blue and silver—he left holding virtually every significant kicking record for longevity and scoring, a quiet legend in a city that values grit above all.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jason was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jason Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Jason's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 21 NFL seasons, all with the Detroit Lions, setting the league record for most seasons with a single team.
- Scored 2,150 total points, making him one of the top ten scorers in NFL history at the time of his retirement.
- Holds the NFL record for the most career 50-yard field goals made, with 52.
- Converted 99.1% of his extra point attempts (665 out of 671) over his entire career.
- Was selected to the Pro Bowl twice, in 1997 and 1999.
Did You Know?
He was a multi-sport athlete at Washington State University, also playing one season of basketball for the Cougars.
Hanson was only the second placekicker ever inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (2019).
He made at least one field goal of 50+ yards in 18 different NFL seasons, demonstrating remarkable long-range consistency.
Despite his long career, he never played in a Super Bowl, a reflection of the Lions' struggles during his tenure.
“I just tried to be consistent and reliable. That was my goal every day.”
