Don Hansen:  

games. Back then we could catch a Friday night game, maybe in River Falls, Wisconsin, catch a day and night game on Saturday in Minnesota and finally catch a game on Sunday also in Minnesota. I continued to feed my enjoyment of college football throughout the years. In 1980, I would make predictions on all the college football games and send them out to newspapers across the nation. Football News asked me to rank the smaller college divisions (NCAA 1-AA, II, III and NAIA) along with my predictions for them. I also did All-Americans for them that year. It is hard to believe, but I have been covering football since 1980. But the real motivation to create my own niche in this world started many years earlier. I had spent many years in children's homes, foster homes, and orphanages since I was six. When I was 13 years old in 1949, while living with my dad, I took off hitchhiking from Williams Park, Illinois to Ajo, Arizona, which I've always considered as my adopted city, to find my mother. I was only in Ajo a short time, but my experience there has stuck with me and been an inspiration to me for the rest of my life. While in Ajo, I met a girl who was able to restore a belief in myself and help me in developing my confidence. We enjoyed roller-skating in the outdoor roller rink, swimming in a "cow watering hole and meeting in the cemetary for some HOT dating. Many walks in the Sonoran desert. Great memories! I'm writing a book about my life, but, it will take awhile to finish since I am still involved with so many committee's. While living in Williams Park I would usually run the distancer to school in Wauconda instead of taking the bus. Sometimes I would visit the Strohl's who also lived in Williams Park. My Kids They are all married and have Children of their own. I have 17 living grandcildren and two great-grandsons. School I had a big crush on Gladys Carbone. College Received an Associate Degree in Accounting. Played a little basketball. Did some writing for the school newpaper.