Hansen was born in McCamey, Texas and attended Monahans High School.

He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Texas-El Paso, where he played nose tackle, linebacker and center.

He opened holes for running backs Fred Wendt and Pug Gabrel, helping the team lead the nation in rushing in 1948.

He played center, offensive guard and defensive tackle, before being converted to linebacker in 1955.

Besides having different business interests, he served as an assistant football coach at Texas Western, Oklahoma, and Stanford.