Despite a heel ailment, Hanson persevered in his last few seasons. Before signing Matt Prater in 2014, he briefly considered coming out of retirement once the injury healed and the Lions were experiencing kicking issues.

“My body felt good,” Hanson remarked. “It felt amazing, even if my heel hurt. I went for a kick outside. I gave a fairly strong kick. I thought, ‘Holy cow.’ However, that was all there was to it. I simply let it go.

“There was a tiny opening. Did I show any interest? Did the body function? However, nothing materialized from it. It didn’t concern me. It was all really insignificant.

Even in retirement, Hanson continues to have popularity among Lions supporters. He coaches young kickers, gives speeches, and is involved with the Highland Park Baptist Church in Southfield.

He remarked, “That sounds more glorified than it is,” in reference to coaching. It’s more or less word-of-mouth: “Hey, do you teach lessons? Yes. There will always be three or five children present.