FOOTBALL POY: Hansen set example for teammates to follow

Once in a very long while, the right people and circumstances come together to produce a sports season so amazing it seems almost magical.
That's what the Lone Peak football team experienced this year, earning a perfect 14-0 mark to tie the state record, along with securing the 5A championship and a national ranking in the top 75.
No one personified this achievement more than Knight quarterback Chase Hansen.
A superlative player in his own right, he rallied his teammates both on and off the field to help them live the ultimate high school dream together, and for this, he's been selected as the Daily Herald Valley Player of the Year for football.
"It's what he did when the coaches weren't watching that probably made the difference," said senior Brody Berry, a teammate of Hansen's in both football and basketball.
In other venues, Berry said Hansen's personality is quite different from the fierce competitor he became when he donned his uniform and pads. "He's never mad. He is fun-loving, always smiling - just a big teddy, really."
Berry described how Hansen organized what amounted to pickup games for the skill players, both before and during the season. "We'd get together and run our plays," he said. "Besides that, we hung out a lot and became really close friends.

"He always kept us in line," Berry continued. "He never wanted us doing anything that was even questionable. He always wanted us on the straight and narrow. He carried himself like a leader off the field too, and we all responded to that."
As for on the field, Berry said Hansen earned everyone's respect. "He practiced and played so hard, we all wanted to help him out. He wouldn't settle for second; he wanted to be first, and he made us all want it too."
That may be the best way to describe the electricity and energy between the players that even strangers could observe along the sidelines, as well as on the gridiron.
"When he was out there, everyone elevated their games," confirmed Lone Peak head coach Tony McGeary. "He inspired everyone to be better because they knew he had their backs.
"One of the most endearing things about him is he has no ego," the coach continued. "He showed every guy true friendship. They knew he genuinely cared for them, and he rolled right with them whatever the situation was."
McGeary described Hansen as "Tebow-esque" in his approach to football.
"He has such passion for the sport, and he plays it with authority," the coach said. "He has a huge heart when he plays. But as good of a player as he is, he's every bit as good of a person. He's well-rounded and grounded."
As for Hansen himself, he's quick to deflect the credit for his success to others.
"I had the best teammates in the world," he said. "We had the best O-line in the state; they proved that against Fremont and their huge defensive front.
"I had the best receivers too, in Zac, Connor, Talon, Micah and the rest," he went on. "I would just do something little, and they would turn it into a big play. Our defense always seemed to step up at key moments along the way as well.
"We were out there to enjoy the game," Hansen said. "No matter what happened, we tried to play the game the same way. We had each other's backs. If something bad happened on one side of the ball, the other side would pick them up.
"The excitement of every moment was our motivation," Hansen said. "There was never a doubt that we could reach our goal. Someone stepped up every single time we needed something to happen."
What they learned together was the importance of preparation, Hansen said. "In football, as in life, it's the little things that end up making the difference," he explained.
"That little extra effort in practice comes into play so many times, especially when the game is on the line," he said. "We knew we were prepared, and we'd committed to each other to leave it all out there - so we did."
When Hansen walked into the field house at Lone Peak with his teammates following the state title game after they rolled into town with a police car and fire truck escort, the crowd broke into chants of "golden child" - a phrase last intimately connected with former Knight and BYU great Jackson Emery.
Somehow, it just fit.
"He's like Captain America - unbelievable," Berry said. "He's the best athlete I've ever played with, and winning with him is the best experience I've ever had."
It's a sure bet the rest of his teammates would say exactly the same thing.