Laughing Caldwell Says Hanson 'Didn't Reach Out To Me;' Talks Prater's Support System
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - With the Detroit Lions in need of a kicker after Nate Freese and Alex Henery went a combined 4 for 12 to start the season, former longtime Lions kicker Jason Hanson reportedly volunteered to make a comeback.
Head coach Jim Caldwell did not deny that report Friday, but he said Hanson did not contact him.
"He didn't reach out to me," Caldwell said. "Obviously we know he's a great kicker and ... what he's done for this organization. They're both tremendous, but we have our guy in place and really pleased about that."
Earlier in the week, the Lions signed former Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater, who missed the first four games due to a suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Prater also made 25 of 26 kicks in 2013, including one that set the NFL record at 64 yards. Caldwell said Prater's new teammates are more than happy to have him.
"We talk about the roster and the changes that we have, so we've kind of let them know what's been going on ... because there's quite a few guys that we bring in and work out, and we often times may sign a guy here or there," Caldwell said. "When we did that this particular week when his name was announced, it was a rousing applause, let me put it that way.
"This is another anecdote to that," Caldwell added. "We were working a drill yesterday afternoon where it was second down and long, we were at the plus-45, and we were running a series of mock plays trying to get the extra yards in order to get into field goal range, and so the first one, on that second and 10 play, there was nobody open, so Matthew threw the ball out of bounds ... He looks back at me, I was standing in the position of the umpire, and he says to me, he says, 'Hey, I don't have anything to worry about, do I?' I said, 'Why is that?' He said, 'Hey, Matt can make it from here, can't he?' If that explains to you how they feel about it, I guess that would kind of wrap it up."
On the field, the Lions have every reason to be confident in Prater. Off the field could be a bigger challenge. Prater discussed his struggles with alcohol in his first meeting with media, and Caldwell expanded Friday on how the Lions plan to support Prater.
The coach first mentioned the team's player development staff members but added that plenty of others can help, too.
"We have people in the building that have gone through similar issues and problems that we think have a lot in common with him in terms of being able to give him a support system," Caldwell said. "We have players on our team that not only, I think, are great role models, but then also know him, that were here when he was here the first time, that can relate to him, talk with him, and the coaching staff as well. I think we're all up for that task. That's what we do with pretty much everyone that we have here, we try to support them the same way."
