Redlands collegiate career worth trading scholarships for Hanson

Jeremy Hanson could have had a college football scholarship. He turned down the offer of a full scholarship to NCAA Division II university Fort Lewis in favor of academic scholarships and grants which will pay most of his expenses over the next four years at the University of Redlands.

“Redlands is a Tier 1 school academically,” Hanson said.

Redlands is an NCAA Division III school and thus does not offer athletic scholarships. Because Division III does not have athletic scholarships, no official letters of intent are signed. Hanson, however, gave a verbal commitment to Redlands to continue his football career. “It’s just great and I’m just blessed to be able to play at the next level and get a good education as well,” he said.

Hanson had also been considering Whittier, Cal Lutheran, and Puget Sound as well as Fort Lewis and Redlands.

“He’s kind of an overachiever,” Fallbrook High School head football coach Joe Silvey said of Hanson. “Very scrappy and tough as a competitor.”

When Hanson was on Fallbrook’s freshman football team in 2005, he weighed 120 pounds. The 5’9” Hanson has since grown to 165 pounds. “He’s overcome things throughout his high school career in terms of not being the biggest player on the field,” Silvey said.

Hanson likely will be one of the smallest players on the Redlands football team. “I don’t think that’s going to deter him very much,” Silvey said.

Hanson is a second-generation Warrior athlete; his mother was a gymnast at Fallbrook High School. Hanson lived in Fallbrook between his birth and the time he was two years old before moving to Minnesota for six years. Hanson returned to Fallbrook when he was in the third grade and became part of the first Frazier Elementary School class. He then attended La Paloma Elementary School and Potter Junior High School.

Hanson’s organized football career began with four years in Fallbrook Pop Warner, where Mark Welsh became one of many coaches to whom Hanson now expresses his gratitude for his development as a football player. Bill Atkins was instrumental in Hanson’s training and conditioning.

Hanson also commended Greg Madden, who was Fallbrook High School’s freshman football coach in 2005. Hanson was also on Fallbrook High School’s golf team as a freshman, although he did not compete in any matches. Hanson was on the Fallbrook Rugby Club as a sophomore and junior.

Hanson, who was on the junior varsity football team in tenth grade and on the varsity as a junior and senior, is grateful to the entire staffs of varsity head coaches Patrick Schmidt and Silvey while noting that assistant coach Tony Morrow spearheaded the recruiting assistance. “The coaches have been very helpful,” Hanson said.

Hanson did not play defense at Fallbrook High School. He spent part of his junior year as a running back as well as a wide receiver. Hanson also participated on the Warrior special teams units.

“Jeremy was a real consistent receiver,” Silvey said.

Redlands plays in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Bulldogs have compiled a 128-64 record under current coach Mike Maynard, including a 92-26 record in SCIAA play which has resulted in ten conference championships. Last year Redlands finished with a 7-2 record, including a 4-2 SCIAA mark.

Hanson hopes to have a career as a physical therapist or an athletic trainer. Although Redlands does not have a physical therapy major, Hanson plans to major in biology or kinesiology and hopes to enroll in graduate school after receiving his undergraduate degree from Redlands.

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