GiveBack Champion Award - Impact GiveBack

Helping N.D. and Minnesota Businesses Land Government Contracts

Phil Hansen lives a GiveBack life – he leads by example through word and deed. In 2001, he received the NDSU Horizon Award for outstanding career accomplishments and community service within ten years of graduation, and in 2006 was presented with the Ralph C. Wilson Distinguished Service Award recognizing former Buffalo Bills players for their community service. Phil shares his time and talent each summer by hosting a specialty football camp for high school offensive and defensive lineman. He also leads an NFL-sponsored sportsmanship and fitness camp for youth ages 5-13 in Fargo, and is starting another sportsmanship and fitness camp in the Detroit Lakes area. Phil gives motivational speeches for youth and adult sports groups, church groups, and area businesses. The values that guide his life provide the themes of his speaking engagements – sportsmanship, fitness, concern for others, hard work, and positive attitude.

Phil and Dianna Hansen share their time, talent, and treasure with a number of nonprofit charities in North Dakota and Minnesota. Dianna serves as the board chair of the Ronald McDonald House in Fargo. They are both members of Dakota Medical Foundation and generously support many of the health-related nonprofit partners of the Foundation.

Phil Hansen is a native of Oakes, North Dakota. He was raised on his family’s 4,000 acre farm, played football for his high school team, and was named a twotime all-conference selection. He earned a bachelor’s degree from NDSU in agricultural economics in 1991. At NDSU, Phil helped bring home three national championships in 1986, 1988, and 1990. He was named twice as a first-team All- American.

In 1991, Phil was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 2nd Round. He competed in 11 seasons as a defensive end with the Buffalo Bills, ranks 2nd in the Bill’s All-Time Sack Leaders stats with 61.5 sacks, and served as a captain for 5 years. He started in 148 out of 156 regular games, and played in three Super Bowls. In January 2002, Phil retired from professional football, and moved back to the Detroit Lakes, MN area. He and his wife, Dianna, are the parents of three children – Hope - 6, Jillian - 4, and Ross, 20-months. Since his return to this area, Phil has been recognized with a number of honors, including being named to the North Dakota Hall of Fame in 2002, the Division 2 Football Hall of Fame in 2004, the NDSU Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Oakes North Dakota Hall of Fame in 2006. In addition to owning and operating his own landscaping business, Phil works as a color analyst for the NDSU Bison football team, and also hosts the Craig Bohl Football Show.