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COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – For Matt Hansen, it was a decision made easier by family connections in Central Minnesota. For Chandler Obering, it meant setting a course for an area with which he was unfamiliar. 

But both seniors say a desire to experience new surroundings drew them to the football program at Saint John's. 

"I was definitely looking to go out-of-state," said Hansen, a graduate of Niwot (Colorado) High School who has handled the kicking and punting duties for the Johnnies the past two seasons. "I wanted to branch out and explore new parts of the country. I'd say the biggest draw at Saint John's was the athletic flexibility. I had the ability to try both football and soccer at first, then later to add track and field."  

Hansen's mother, Sarah (Omann) Roberts, is a Sartell High School graduate who ran cross country and track and field at CSB. Most of her family still resides in the area, providing Hansen with a much-appreciated network of support. 

"It's definitely been easier having family nearby," said Hansen, whose 77 extra points as a junior was a single-season program record and who currently ranks seventh on the school's career list. "I got injured last spring and I had to go to St. Cloud Orthopedic two times a week. My grandpa was there with a ride every single time. He always hosts a meal at his house after home games. So family members who are coming from out-of-state to see me play have a place to go." 

Obering, meanwhile, also wanted a change of pace. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound defensive lineman out of Villa Park (California) High School looked at both Saint John's and Linfield (Oregon) during the recruiting process before deciding to enroll in Collegeville in the fall of 2022. 

"I wanted to do something different," said Obering, who is back for a fifth season on a medical redshirt and is in his second season as a starter on the defensive line. "I didn't want to do the same thing with all of the same guys. 

"I came out here for a visit and saw snow for the first time. I just fell in love with the atmosphere. I knew it was the right fit for me." 

Hansen and Obering are not alone. The two are part of a group of 35 players on this season's roster who come from locales other than the five-state (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota) area. 

In addition to Colorado and California, they represent Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Florida, Arizona, Texas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii. 

"Our bread and butter is always going to be Central Minnesota and the Twin Cities when it comes to recruiting," Johnnies coach Gary Fasching said. "That's where the majority of our players come from. But we love getting out-of-state kids here too. They add a lot to our program. We've had a pretty big group of guys who've helped us a lot in that group over the past decade or so. 

"They key is building a culture where everybody feels welcome. And for that, I have to credit our Minnesota players. They make sure they reach out to the guys from further away. When holidays come up, and those guys can't get home because we're still practicing, they make sure they take them into their own families. They go out of their way to make sure those guys don't feel too homesick." 

That's certainly been the case for Obering, who said his coaches and teammates have been there for him throughout his time on campus. That support came in handy when he suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason his freshman year. 

 "That was hard because I'd just gotten to campus and I didn't have anyone out here I knew," he said. "But I'm not a quitter, and even though it seemed scary, I was determined to stick it out. I'm the first one in my family to go to college and I didn't want to let a setback like that make me give it up. 

 "It ended up working out just fine and I'm glad I stuck it out. But I couldn't have done it without the people here. I call them a second family. My teammates, Coach Dumo (Damien Dumonceaux), the friends I made. That camaraderie made me stay." 

Hansen too cited a sense of community as one of the things he loves best about SJU. 

"There are so many opportunities to get involved and get to know people," he said. "I'd tell someone coming here from out of state not to be afraid of branching out. Go to school events. Join groups. Everyone here is really welcoming.   

"And if you're on an athletic team, you have an automatic friend group right there. Four of my five roommates now play football and the fifth one did in the past. This team is like a built-in family." 

Hansen is spending this semester as a product owner intern at Trinity Logistics helping develop a project he himself pitched to the CTO during an internship there this past summer. He works virtually for the company's headquarters, which is located in Delaware. 

Obering, meanwhile, will graduate in December and plans to get his master's degree at Loras (Iowa) while also helping out as a strength-and-conditioning coach under head football coach Brandon Novak '01, the former defensive coordinator at SJU. 

"Coming here turned out to be the best decision I ever made," said Obering, whose father Mike liked Minnesota enough to move here and now resides near Duluth. 

"My time at Saint John's has been amazing."