ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -When Jason Hanson entered the NFL nearly two decades ago, he got hugs and high-fives for nailing a long field goal.
Now, he’s lucky to get a handshake.
Football players have gotten bigger, faster and stronger over the years – it’s why the league is cracking down on illegal hits – but it’s true on both sides of the ball, so the yards per carry or catch stay largely the same from one era to the next.
The goal posts have been 18 1/2 feet wide, the same width as the NFL hash marks, since 1972, and they’ve been at the back of the end zone since 1974.
The kickers aren’t the same at all.
They’re in the weight room more, employ specialized training and superior techniques, kick on more favorable surfaces and benefit from better athleticism than their predecessors.
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