Hansen to stay on field at Concordia
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GLADSTONE -- The tradition of football in the Hansen family will continue at Concordia University Chicago next fall as Gladstone's John Hansen sign his letter of intent to play with the Cougars Tuesday morning in the Gladstone High School Library.
"I'm excited," Hansen said. "It's definitely going to be a process, but I'm excited to get the next part of my life going."
A mutual interest between the Cougars program and Hansen arose as they were searching for additions to their program and he found a love for Chicago.
"They had been looking for a lot more recruits because of new coaching," he said. "They had contacted me, and I had been interested. My sister had moved there recently and I liked the city so it all worked out."
The enjoyment he finds of being in the city is one of the things that gave them the edge over other schools -- Finlandia University, Michigan Tech and Concordia Wisconsin to name a few -- that were interested.
"I had really just been looking for a bigger city. I really like a place like that," he said. "It's just the atmosphere."
Once on campus, Hansen will be studying accounting/financing. As much as he enjoys working with numbers and money, Hansen is most excited about stepping onto the field with his new Cougars teammates.
"(I'm most excited) to just play football," he said. "I love the sport, and it's my passion. So, it's going to be a great thing to do."
Hansen is hoping to stay on the offensive side of things as a wide receiver "making plays."
The move to the next level can be a tough task. However, Hansen feels comfortable about that challenge.
"It's going to be a little rough on me, but I think I'll adapt well," he said.
As far as getting out of the Upper Peninsula and leaving home, he's ready.
"I love my parents, but it's going to be nice to get away from them," he chuckled.
Hansen was also thankful for those that have helped him along the way.
"I just want to shout out my team and everyone that has supported us," Hansen said. "It's really a big factor in my life, everything they have done for me."
Alongside John for his entire life's journey has been his father -- and football coach -- Jeff Hansen.
As a father, Jeff is proud of John and his accomplishments, but it's somewhat bittersweet.However, the chance to see John chase his dreams makes it all positive for Jeff.
"It's a transition that every parent has to see their kid go on to bigger and better things in life," Jeff Hansen commented. "John is definitely doing that. So, it's a happy thing for sure, and as parents, we're very proud of him and he's really come into his own.
"I see this as a really unique opportunity to go out there and not only get a great education at a great school in a spot where he wants to live and play some ball while he's down there. ... As parents, you couldn't ask for much more."
The pride Jeff has in his son doesn't change when he looks at things from a coach's perspective.
"John was a three-year varsity guy for Gladstone, and his growth as a player, he really broke through as a senior and was a high impact player on both sides of the ball," he said. "You saw his ability as a wide receiver to really change the game and tear the lid off the top of defense and score some touchdowns."
Jeff also noted John's leadership, a role he took on as a senior member of the team.
"He's a very good teammate. That's a big part of it," he said. "The positivity you see in the locker room comes from guys that are senior leaders like him."
Above all, Jeff is simply proud of his son and player and to see him continue the family football legacy makes it all the better.
"As a coach, seeing your players have opportunities at the next level is very, very gratifying," he said. "The fact that he's my son even adds to that a lot because there is the proud dad part and the proud coach part. That's a very unique thing for a family and something that we love very much because football is a Hansen family tradition. This, for us, we see it as a blessing and a tremendous opportunity."