Throughout the era of horrific play presented by the Detroit Lions in recent years, one player has stuck with the team and always excelled. Someone who has been with this organization longer than anyone and has seen it all. From the playoffs to Barry Sanders to the Matt Millen age of mediocrity, one player has been through it all, but still managed to play well. That person I'm talking about is Jason Hanson.
Jason Hanson, who has been kicking for Detroit his entire 15-year career, is about the only Lions player that has consistently played good football. Whether you need a kick from 20 yards or 40, Hanson will usually make it. Although every now and then there will be a miss from long range, Hanson still makes the easy ones. In fact, Hanson has only missed 2 field goals in his career from 29 yards or under.
Even when the rest of the team seems to be playing at their worse, Hanson will still go out there and do his job. Just this weekend he scored all of Detroit's points by nailing 3 field goals in the rough conditions of Lambeau Field.
Through the thick and thin, Hanson has been there for Detroit, and in total, has made over 350 field goals. As the criticism of most of the Lions picks up, one shouldn't ever be given a hard time. For someone to stick with this bad of a team and to excel continuously, that person deserves a big pat on the back. So, thanks to Jason Hanson, for being the one person Lions fans can count on when everything else goes wrong.