Arizona Bowl: Justice is served as QB Hansen emerges as star for Arkansas State

Who could have imagined that one of the last practices of Justice Hansen’s college career would take place on a high school field in Tucson?

Certainly not Hansen. The quarterback had been a four-star recruit. He had signed with Oklahoma. He was a local kid, hailing from Edmond, about 45 minutes north of Norman. He was a legacy kid too, his father having played baseball for the Sooners.

Hansen’s journey did not evolve the way he had envisioned it. Not even close. But he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s been a long road,” the Arkansas State senior said Wednesday. “But I’ve enjoyed all of it.”

Hansen went from ballyhooed recruit to forgotten prospect to Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. He will lead Arkansas State (8-4) against Nevada (7-5) in the fourth Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl on Saturday at Arizona Stadium.

Hansen and his fellow Red Wolves continued their preparations for the game on an overcast, blustery afternoon at Salpointe Catholic High School. After practice, Hansen and his coach reflected on the quarterback’s path from Edmond to Tucson and all the stops in between.

“I just learned how important perseverance is,” Hansen said. “There are many times I thought it was the end of my road as far as football goes. If you keep striving for something, you can get it.”

A dream dashed

Hansen verbally committed to Oklahoma in April 2013. The Sooners won the battle for his services over Kevin Sumlin-coached Texas A&M, among others.

The product of Santa Fe High School enrolled at OU the following January. It all made sense. His dad, Dusty, had played for the Sooners baseball squad that won the 1994 College World Series. Justice always dreamed of playing football for OU.

“I went there,” he said, “and I was kind of able to check that off the list: OK, I made it.”

As time passed, however, Hansen began to question whether he had made the right decision. He had redshirted as a freshman, which is hardly uncommon. But the quarterback room was packed. Trevor Knight started in 2014 and had two more years of eligibility. A transfer from Texas Tech named Baker Mayfield would win the job in ’15. He later would win the Heisman Trophy and become the No. 1 pick in the ’18 NFL draft.

Hansen would watch other college games and think, “I could play for these teams.” He didn’t know when that opportunity would come at Oklahoma, if ever.

“You’ve got a spot at the University of Oklahoma for the next four or five years if you so choose,” Hansen said. “Are you going to sit there, or do you believe enough in yourself to say I can take a leap of faith? I can leave here, and I can work my way back? I was able to do that.”

The road was neither smooth nor straight. Hansen transferred to Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. During training camp, he tore his left quadriceps. Surgery would sideline him for six or seven months. But Hansen had chosen the junior college route because he needed to play. He had missed the latter half of his senior season in high school because of an injury. Sitting out the 2015 season as an FBS transfer would put him on the shelf for 2½ years.

“I was set to graduate that December,” Hansen said. “I didn’t have six or seven months to waste.”

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So Hansen eschewed surgery and gutted his way through the injury. He also was sleeping on a mattress in the corner of a teammate’s bedroom. Butler “couldn’t pay for everything for kids out of state,” Hansen said, “so I had to cover some of that.”

Hansen was reluctant to ask his parents for money; he had made the choice to leave Oklahoma, where he had a full-ride scholarship. Hansen spent a week selling fireworks in a mall parking lot to help keep his football dream afloat.

“Money got tight,” he said. “I’m not the type of person to call home to my parents and say, ‘Hey, I need help.’ I’m not going to put them in a bind.”

Hansen played in nine games for Butler, passing for 1,694 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. The Grizzlies’ season ended Nov. 7. Hansen received offers in December from Iowa State and Akron. In early January of 2016, he committed to Arkansas State. Red Wolves stalwart Fredi Knighten had exhausted his eligibility. Their QB competition was wide open.

Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson had recruited Hansen while serving as North Carolina’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2012 and ’13.

“Once he became available the second time through, it just made sense,” Anderson said. “The more I investigated him, the more we found out about him, the more you liked him.”

Meeting in the middle

Hansen enrolled at Arkansas State in January. That spring, two quarterbacks left the program. Soon after, another former four-star QB arrived in Jonesboro: Chad Voytik, a grad transfer from Pitt.

Voytik won a close battle in training camp. He started the first three games — all Arkansas State losses. Hansen made his first career start for Arkansas State the following week, and the Red Wolves lost again — this time to Central Arkansas, an FCS program.

Anderson stuck with Hansen, who helped Arkansas State turn its season around. After starting 0-4, the Red Wolves won the Sun Belt Conference championship. They capped the year by beating Central Florida. UCF hasn’t lost since.

“Justice’s laid-back personality was hard to get used to,” said Anderson, who sprinted about the practice field Wednesday. “He and I had to meet in the middle somewhere.

“Chad was an up-tempo, very fiery guy. As Justice got more and more comfortable, he was able to raise his intensity level but still kind of be himself. We found a spot that really worked for both of us, and he’s done a great job ever since.”

Hansen threw 19 touchdown passes in 2016. He nearly doubled that total the following season, throwing for 37 touchdowns and 3,967 yards to earn the SBC Offensive Player of the Year award. He enters the Arizona Bowl with 27 TDs and 3,172 yards. He has lowered his interception total from 16 to six.

All of which has put the 6-4 Hansen on the NFL’s radar. Anderson said “a bunch” of pro scouts have come through Jonesboro to check out Hansen.

“I think he’s going to end up on a roster,” Anderson said. “He’s gotta find the right opportunity, the right place.”

Hansen has done it before. It just took a while.

“Going through all that makes you really decide how much you love this game,” Anderson said. “We’re all products of the path we’ve taken to get to where we’re at.”