With Sunday the 25th anniversary of the Herschel Walker trade, we’re seeing a number of retrospectives on the deal. ESPN aired a “30 for 30” feature on the deal Tuesday night, and NFL.com has released a detailed exploration of the Walker trade, which involved 18 players, most in league history.
Sunday will also mark the Lions’ sixth game of the season. Already, the club is on its third kicker, with Matt Prater succeeding Alex Henery, who replaced Nate Freese.
So what does the Herschel Walker trade have to do with the Lions’ kicking situation?
Well, the Lions’ current kicking instability follows a 21-season run by Jason Hanson, who held the position from 1992 to 2012.
And the Walker trade, in some ways, indirectly helped land Hanson in Detroit.
So let’s go back to the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft. (Note: You are under no obligation to read the upcoming passage in the voice of Jim Walsh from “Beverly Hills, 90210,” but it is suggested.)
The Cowboys had the No. 40 overall selection in Round Two, which once belonged to Minnesota, but was sent to Dallas in the Walker trade.
Now, it was in the possession of Dallas coach / personnel czar Jimmy Johnson.
And so, and perhaps expected even, the 40th pick would be used by another club.
In this case, the Cowboys’ trading partner was the Chiefs, who sent 1992 second- and third-round picks (Nos. 47, 74) to Dallas for No. 40.
Then came another deal. Dallas went into business with an NFC East rival, sending picks Nos. 47 and 74 to Washington for a second- and a third-round selection (Nos. 56, 58) in ’92.
But there was another Round Two trade to be made for Dallas.
This time, Detroit was the partner.
The Lions traded 1992 third-, fourth- and ninth-round selections to Dallas for No. 56, the last pick in Round Two.
The Lions’ selection? Jason Hanson, placekicker, Washington State.
The pick of Hanson came three spots after the Lions used their own second-round selection on linebacker Tracy Scroggins. It must also be noted Hanson was the only kicker to be selected before Round 12 of the 1992 draft. But in the end, Hanson ably filled his position for more than two decades.
Things can be much, much worse, as Detroit knows.
Note: 1992 draft trade data was cited and verified from team media guides, ProSportsTransactions.com, Pro Football Weekly, NFL.com, the Baltimore Sun and the Kansas City Star.
