Utica, NY (12/12/13) – Senior linebacker Ryan Hansen (Woodcliff Lake, NJ/Pascack Hills) of the Utica College football has been selected to play in the fifth annual D-III Senior Classic in Salem, VA on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at the Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia.

The D-III Senior Classic has attracted the best football players Division III has to offer for the past three years, boasting roster's that are consistently comprised of 82% All-Americans. Going into its fifth-year, this game has been highly successful and is undoubtedly the premier post-season scouting opportunity for all of D-III Football. The D-III Senior Classic brings together some of the nation's best to Salem, VA each December to compete in a North vs. South All-Star game. Each year, the D3 Senior Classic provides its participants and their families with an unmatched experience including a banquet to pay tribute to their stellar football careers.

In 2013, Hansen finished second on the Utica College defense with 85 total tackles. His 85 tackles were 53 more than his previous season-high in 2011. Hansen started all ten games his senior season, and led the team with 11 tackles for a loss. He also recorded two sacks and broke up two passes while forcing one fumble and recovering another. Hansen was part of the stellar 2013 Utica College linebacker core that included Joe Giametta (Seaford, NY/MacArthur) and Dana Christofferson (Richford, NY/Dryden). Giametta and Christofferson were selected to play in a different all-star game, the 'Bowl of the Stars.'

Hansen has been as steady as they come over the course of his four-year career racking up 139 total tackles as a Pioneer. Hansen seemed to always be disrupting plays in the backfield, as he finished his career with 15.5 tackles for a loss. He broke up four passes, forced two fumbles, and recovered another two during his tenure.

The 2012 D-III Senior Classic featured three former Pioneers. Linebacker Genaro Scampone (Utica, NY/Proctor), wide receiver Jeremy Meier (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), and the late Matt Dunn (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) traveled to Virginia to represent Utica College. The South All-Stars won the game 37-21.