COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Football was Jacob Hansen’s sport of choice through adolescence until he discovered Rugby in college. After years of playing at the collegiate level, his love for the sport continued into his adult life.
Hansen moved to Coeur d'Alene, where he competed regionally. While in the Montana Rugby Union State Tournament, Hansen played like he had been for years.
While eyeing the end zone mid-game, Hansen caught the ball and decided to run with it. He planted his foot to juke out an opposing player in his path.
But the move didn’t work and Hansen got tackled.
“They hit me in the knee, great form tackle just like they should. My cleat stays in the ground, my chest goes to the ground,” Hansen said.
It was that moment that changed the athlete’s life permanently.
Hansen’s left leg dislocated, and team nurses rushed to his side on the field. In that moment he had no idea how serious the injury was, but it sent him into countless surgeries and five months in the hospital.
In the end, doctors ended up removing Hansen’s leg from the thigh down.
“It wasn’t an easy decision deciding to cut my foot off. I liked my foot I had lived with it for a long time. But its all good, its gone now,” Hansen said.
That tough decision is why Hansen now works to guide other amputees through the physical and emotional process of losing a limb. He said support from friends and family is the only thing that got him through the recovery process.
“I had so much support through this that I don’t think failure was even a possibility,” he said.
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Failure was something he mentioned several times. Hansen said he felt at first that the amputation would have been a failure.
Hansen’s plan was to make a 100% recovery with his leg. In the end though, he realized his mobility would be better with a prosthetic.
Now, after years of physical therapy and upgrading to an advanced leg, Hansen is more active than the average person. He plays touch rugby, hikes, bikes, runs and is even getting ready to welcome a new baby into his life.
His resilience reflected a positive mindset and strong support system.
“It’s the age-old saying. You’ve just got to wake up every day and do your best. And that’s part of what I share with people. It's going to get better,” Hansen said.