Mentality of Penn State freshman DL Fred Hansard helps separate him on the field

Editor’s note: Every day, from now until Penn State football’s Class of 2017 reports to campus June 24, we’ll highlight a different one of the Nittany Lions’ 17 incoming signees. Today is Day 15 of the 17-day series.

After another dominant performance, Fred Hansard pulled aside the Blair Academy offensive lineman tasked with trying to stop him that day. He wanted to pay his respects.

Hansard — a 6-foot-3, 302-pound defensive tackle — couldn’t be blocked during his career at The Hun School with his combination of speed and strength. He certainly overpowered Blair’s 195-pound lineman that outing, but Hansard’s opponent kept peeling himself off the turf to battle every play. So after the teams shook hands, Hansard threw his arm around his opponent, patted him on the back and praised his effort.

That scene helped reinforce why Blair coach Jim Saylor picked up the phone during Hansard’s sophomore year to call his former college teammate, Penn State coach James Franklin.

“There’s not a lot of kids that would do that kind of thing, especially with Fred’s athletic ability and (being) a Division I athlete,” Saylor said. “I got a lot of respect for Fred for being that kind of a person.”

Saylor initially came away impressed with Hansard after talking with him at a track and field meet during his sophomore year, and he knew Franklin wanted that type of kid in his program. Hansard’s talent on the football field was evident, and even opposing coaches like Saylor who didn’t see him in the weight room every day could tell he was special. By the time he became a senior, opposing players would search online to see his impressive list of offers — Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, USC, etc. — and watch film on the future Nittany Lion, who’ll soon report to campus.

Saylor said Hansard is one of the best linemen he’s ever seen in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League, and he called the future Nittany Lion an “animal.” He wasn’t the only one. Hill School lineman Griff Lehman, who went up against Hansard, described him as a “freak.” And Lawrenceville coach Harry Flaherty said Hansard boasted both the strength and athleticism to give opposing teams fits.

“Fred was a guy who was able to plug up multiple gaps at once, but he was not a guy that would just take on double teams and that was it,” Flaherty added. “He was a guy who had the ability to shed a block and then run and chase and make a tackle.”

Lehman said the first time he heard about Hansard, his coach told the team that No. 56 is a “hell of a football player.” But it wasn’t long before Hansard became a name instead of a number on the Hill School sideline. Lehman said there was soon a “fear factor” going into games against Hansard and Hun.

Lehman felt that fear after learning about the four-star talent.

“I was just terrified of him because I was a little 15-year-old sophomore,” Lehman said. “I walked out onto the field, and this guy’s 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, strong as an ox.”

Lehman was a 6-foot-4, 200-pound lineman at the time — and he doesn’t mind acknowledging who won that battle. Lehman said he was manhandled by Hansard, who played every snap as an offensive and defensive lineman in high school. Hansard blocked Lehman during their matchups, using his wide frame to make it tough for Lehman to generate pressure. Lehman didn’t block Hansard, but he saw his ability to knock over opposing players with ease.

Lehman still remembers one specific play, with Hansard grabbing the quarterback with one hand and spinning him around before losing his grip. The quarterback staggered back a few steps and started running away, only to have Hansard continue his pursuit to record the sack.

“He just absolutely demolished him,” Lehman said.

Saylor witnessed Hansard’s dominance against Blair, but the defensive lineman left an impression on the opposing coach with how he carried himself. He didn’t talk trash or boast on the field. He didn’t take cheap shots. He respected his opponents.

Saylor, who described Hansard as an “ambassador” of the game, wished he had the defensive lineman at Blair because of his character. It’s why he called Franklin about Hansard early in his high school career: I don’t know if you know about this kid at Hun. He’s a sophomore. This kid’s going to be one of the best players in the country. He’s one of the best players already in our league as a sophomore.

“And James thanked me for reaching out to him,” added Saylor, who played with Franklin at East Stroudsburg.

As much as Hansard’s personality impressed Saylor, Hansard still managed to frustrate Saylor’s players during his career. Though they battled, Hansard simply overmatched his undersized linemen. Blair tried everything from using double teams to calling running plays away from the New Jersey native. But it didn’t matter; Saylor said Hansard couldn’t be stopped.

“I’m sure Blair Academy is on 90 percent of his highlight tape because it seemed like he made every tackle on every play in his three years playing against us at Blair,” Saylor said. “He probably loved playing against Blair.”

Hansard will now be playing against teams that recruited him in the Big Ten — and Saylor expects the defensive lineman to continue to thrive. With his passion for the game and personality, the Blair coach thinks Hansard will make plays during his Penn State career like he did in high school.

“I think he’s going to be an All-American at Penn State,” Saylor said.

This story was originally published June 21, 2017 at 11:53 PM with the headline "Mentality of Penn State freshman DL Fred Hansard helps separate him on the field."