Getty Jason Hanson kicks off a ball against Minnesota.
The Detroit Lions have had tons of elite players through the years, and some have made their mark not only in the NFL but also in college.
A pair that made their mark in both are moving on to the College Football Hall of Fame. Late last week, it was revealed that both kicker Jason Hanson as well as offensive lineman Lomas Brown. The duo were on the ballot and managed to crack it in order to be inducted to the Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
The team revealed the news that the duo had made it with a timely tweet.
🙌🙌🙌
Congrats to Jason Hanson and @LomasBrown75 for being named to the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class! #OnePride
Obviously, it’s nice to see these players get their moment in the sun.
Jason Hanson, Lomas Brown Earned Hall Call
The Lions relied on both Hanson and Brown for a long time. Hanson joined the squad in 1992 as a second round draft pick, and when he came to the team, Brown had been there since 1985. Brown and Hanson played together for a trio of seasons, with Brown departing the Lions in 1995.
Brown was a 7 time Pro Bowler from 1990-1996 and while he never won a Super Bowl with the Lions, he helped pave the way for Barry Sanders up front as one of the team’s key lead blockers. He moved on and won Super Bowl XXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Obviously, though, he is more known for the 10 years he spent with the Lions. While in college, he was an All American at Florida.
Hanson was elite in the pros as well during a stellar 20 year career in Detroit. Hanson shattered multiple team records at his position while also setting impressive NFL records. Hanson has the most field goals made in NFL history from 40 yards or more (189), was the first player to score 2,000 points with one franchise, and also has the career game winning field goals in overtime (9). He also played the most games in NFL history with one team. He was also an All American at Washington State.
It’s exciting for the Lions and their fans to see these guys get their chance.
Calvin Johnson’s Hall of Fame Case Examined
While Hanson and Brown will now crack the College Football Hall of Fame, Johnson is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, and it’s interesting to see some of the hype he is getting as it relates to making it to Canton next year. Recently, John Breech of CBS Sports debated some of the candidates for Johnson’s class, and explained their chances.
When it came to Johnson, Breech explained the potential ups and downs of Johnson trying to get the call next year. Here’s a look at his conclusion:
“You can definitely make a strong argument that Calvin Johnson belongs in the Hall of Fame, but Megatron might have a tough time getting in during his first-year of eligibility, and that’s mainly because his career was so short. Johnson decided to retire after just nine seasons, and that was mainly due to two reasons: His body was beat up and he was fed up with the Lions. As a matter of fact, Johnson actually did a recent interview where he took another shot at his former team.
“First thing, I’m like, ‘Whoa, this is how you should take care of your players,'” Johnson told the Behind the Mask podcast. “I go to Miami — it ain’t like Miami’s winning, but they’re taking care of their players … I go to Oakland, I’m like, ‘Damn, we don’t have none of this in Detroit.'”
Despite his sour relationship with the Lions, he did thrive during his time with the team. During his nine-year career, Johnson led was named an All-Pro three times and he led the NFL in receiving yards twice. Megatron also led the NFL in receptions in 2012 when he caught 122 passes. The impressive thing is that he did all of this even though he was usually the focal point of every opponent’s defense. During that 2012 season, Johnson finished with 1,964 receiving yards, which is still the NFL’s single-season record. As a matter of fact, no player in the NFL has even finished a season with 1,900 yards.
The biggest knock on Johnson is that he never really played on any good Lions teams. During his time in Detroit, the Lions went just 54-90 and he went 0-2 in the playoffs. Of course, no one will be blaming those losses on Johnson, especially his first one. Back in January 2012, Johnson caught 12 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-28 loss to the Saints.”
Johnson would seem to be a lock to make it to the Hall of Fame given what he did in the NFL for years and also given the way he changed the game at wide receiver.
If that’s the case, Johnson will be joining a few other impressive members in getting recognized.
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