When Phil Hansen saw the 716 area code show up on his cell phone, he wasn’t sure who was calling him from Buffalo, N.Y. It was summer 2011, ten years since Hansen had retired from the Bills. At first, he didn’t recognize the voice on the other end of the line and thought it was a prank call. But as the conversation drew on, he realized this was a legitimate person within the Bills organization.

Advertisement

Then, it hit him. It was Ralph Wilson. The former Bills owner wanted to add Hansen’s name to the Wall of Fame in New Era Stadium. Hansen, the 11-year NFL defensive end, accepted graciously.

That fall, Hansen became one of only 28 former Bills players given the distinct honor of having their names plastered on the inner concrete wall of New Era Stadium. The 1991 second-round draft pick from North Dakota State played his entire career in Buffalo, recording 61.5 sacks (third in franchise history), 496 solo tackles (sixth) and one glorious touchdown during that time.

Today, Hansen lives in Detroit Lakes, Minn., with his wife and three kids. He comes back to Buffalo when he can, but as a color analyst for his alma mater, his weekends in the fall are busy. In between shepherding his two teenage daughters and teenage son around to their numerous activities and sports, he also referees high school football and basketball games. The Athletic recently caught up with Hansen, 50, on his Bills career, his foray into politics post-football, the most memorable sack of his career, what he thinks of the NFL’s new policy for protecting quarterbacks and more.

You retired from the NFL in 2001 after 11 years in the league. What made you decide to step away from the game?

I was 34 when I retired and it was a pretty easy decision. When you turn 30 in the NFL, your younger teammates have a new name for you — they start calling you Grandpa. So, you know, I could see my skills deteriorating. And there was a change in guard in management and with the players, and it just seemed like a good time to get out. I think there was one day, maybe in my tenth or eleventh season, I remember it took me longer to get ready for practice then it did to practice — meaning taping up things and icing from all my past injuries. I think that was a watershed moment for me. So that kind of helped me to decide to retire. I didn’t want to get cut, either. I had seen some people go before me that got cut and re-signed with another team, then came back to Buffalo and get on the roster so they could retire as a Bill. I had 11 years (in Buffalo) as a defensive lineman and I wanted to go out on my terms more than have them say, “We found someone better than Hansen.”

Advertisement

What did you do initially when you first retired?

I knew it was coming. I had told my teammates on the night before the last game in Miami that I was going to retire. And me and my wife, you know, we had decided to move back to the community we live in now, Detroit Lakes, Minn. I didn’t have any big plans, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. But shortly I could tell that I didn’t want to work for somebody else, I didn’t want somebody who had to tell me when to come and when to leave. I felt that I had earned the right to not have someone tell me what to do every waking moment. I played 22 years of organized football and it was time for a break. I had a couple of opportunities to coach college football and it just wasn’t quite the right fit. You could easily just say that I retired and I choose what I do now.

You also dabbled in politics a little bit. How was that experience?

Yeah, I ran for office — it was a state senate office — in Minnesota in 2012. And I lost (laughs). So, a lot of work leading up to it. I mean, I didn’t go in planning to lose or planning for a good show. I went in planning on winning. A lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of money and a lot of time spent, so to lose something that you put so much effort into is very disheartening, disappointing. You know, that’s the way our democracy works. It was kind of reminiscent of a Super Bowl. But I’m glad I did it, I’m glad I tried it. I learned a lot about the process and actually the community and surrounding communities in which we live. Yeah, I’m disappointed that I lost. But not disappointed that I did it, necessarily.

What’s tougher, football or politics?

(Pause) They’re both tough … but in different veins. I mean, football is certainly more physically demanding, but there’s a lot of mental preparation and thought-provoking things in politics. But once again, that was just (my experience) through the election process. I wasn’t elected so I don’t really know. I probably wouldn’t do it again, but like I said, I’m not disappointed I did it.

You were recently back in Buffalo for the NFL Draft and festivities. What was your own draft day experience like in 1991?

I was a college kid living in an apartment with my roommates, just hanging out and waiting for a call. The first round was on ESPN, but back then they couldn’t get the draft over fast enough. But they’ve turned it into a production now. It wasn’t like that back then. So, I was just waiting for a call and then ESPN went off the air, and I was just kind of sitting around. I didn’t really know what to do. And every time the phone would ring it would be one of my friends calling me asking if I’d heard anything yet. I’d be like, “Shut up, no. Don’t call back!” and slam the phone down because I was waiting for that call.

At about 6:30 that evening, the Bills called and you know —Bill Polian, Marv Levy — I talked to so many people that day, I can’t even remember everyone I talked to. They said, “Get your stuff ready, get out here to Buffalo and we’re happy to have you.” It was a good day.

Advertisement

As a former defensive player yourself, what do you think about Ed Oliver as the Bills first overall pick this year?

I actually met Ed in the airport when I was leaving. We were flying back at about the same time, same flight. So I went up and introduced myself, and just told him a little bit about Buffalo and what to expect. Defensive linemen are at a premium and we got a good one. They can really wreak havoc on a quarterback, so yeah, I think he’ll do great.

When you came into the league, Buffalo was one of the best teams in the NFL. You jumped right into the mix and got to be part of the Bills last three Super Bowls. What was that like?

I was in awe just like everybody, maybe even more so because I had just watched the Super Bowl a few months before and these guys were in it. So now I was teammates with them. Obviously, it takes a little while to transition; they don’t quite accept you as a teammate right away. But I was playing my first year so guys like Daryl Talley, Bruce (Smith), and Shane Conlan took me under their wing. I was obviously the weak link early on, but they stuck by me and it was a good experience.

You got to the quarterback a lot in your career. But in today’s NFL, some of those sacks might have been called for a penalty. What do you think about today’s rules regarding quarterback sacks?

I’m a defensive guy. I think it’s crazy the way they changed the rules to benefit the offense and to get a bigger score, to appease the fans I guess. And I guess it’s the fans who pay our salary. But, I don’t know, I’m kind of a purest I guess. I don’t like all the new rules myself. I don’t know why quarterbacks get to have preferential treatment, which I don’t I know how anybody can say that they don’t. I understand that they are a big part of the game, but it’s like saying they are a bigger part or more important than you are. So, it’s probably not very popular, but that’s kind of what I feel about it. (Laughs) Consider the source! It’s coming from a defensive lineman who was paid to sack quarterbacks. We were judged on sacks and that was the best part.

What was your most memorable sack?

Sacking Dan Marino was memorable. I can’t say which one exactly, but he was such a competitor. We played Miami twice a year, they were our rivals. So just sacking him and looking at the look of disgust on his face, that was always good. And then the guy I went up against (on the offensive line) was one of my biggest challenges. So that was always pretty satisfying. Fans always loved it, too.

It’s rare that NFL players spend their entire career with one team. How were you able to have that with the Buffalo Bills?

The first couple of years, I didn’t know whether I was coming or going. As my career progressed, I could tell that they wanted me there. They drafted me. And I wanted to be here. You know, Buffalo kind of gets a bad rap about the weather, but I love Buffalo. I love the people. I love the community. I’ve always enjoyed going back. It was a good fit for me and the defense they ran fit me better than a lot of other places would have in the NFL. It was never my desire to go anyplace else. And as long as they wanted me and I wanted to be there, it was a good match.

What do you take away most from your time in Buffalo and with the Bills organization?

It probably doesn’t have anything to do with football, necessarily. I mean, that’s why I was there. But the community, the people and the neighbors. I still get together with people from Jim Kelly’s golf tournament in June with some of my teammates. You know, when I was back (for the draft) I got to drive down some of my old roads and saw how downtown has developed. I got to go see some of my friends and people who I knew from just being my neighbors back then. They’re just good people and lifelong friends. It’s coming up on 20 years here, so there’s only a handful of people left with the Bills who were there when I played.

Time moves on. But the memories don’t.

(Photo of Hansen with the Bills in 2000: George Gojkovich / Getty Images)