By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Football player Hans Limstrom (Jr., LB, Anchorage, AK/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) began his education in Alaska, then after attending summer school in Hawaii for several years, he went to Hawaii Preparatory Academy for his sophomore through senior years. At HPA, he played football, wrestling, and rugby. After graduating, Limstrom was on his way to Oregon, first to attend Linfield University for two years, then transferring to Willamette University. The 2021 season was his first with the Bearcats.
Limstrom spent five summers in Hawaii attending summer school. His experiences helped him decide to continue his education in Hawaii.
"The five summers I spent there gave me an appreciation for the land, and it made me want to stay there longer," Limstrom explained. "I did not expect to go there for school right away, but in my last summer session after my freshmen year of high school, I decided that I wanted to get my diploma from Hawaii Preparatory Academy, so I sent in an application to attend. Hawaii Preparatory Academy is a boarding/day school in Waimea, located on the northwestern side of the Big Island, also known as the island of Hawaii."
After moving from Alaska, Limstrom had to adjust to being in Hawaii throughout the year and had to make new friends at Hawaii Preparatory Academy.
"It was very different than attending school in Alaska, especially because I was a seven-day boarder who had moved away from my family at the age of 15," Limstrom noted. "I had an incredible experience in my time there. I met a lot of friends that I still consider some of my best friends to this day. My favorite experience was playing football for HPA, which is why I decided to continue my athletic career in college."
Although attending HPA was a wonderful thing for Limstrom, it still took a while to feel comfortable in his new surroundings.
"It was tough at times being away from my family and friends back home, but living with everyone in the dorm, where we were all in similar situations, made it so my friends really became my family," Limstrom said. "I didn't have much free time as I was a three-sport athlete. I would mainly try to play guitar, watch Netflix, or go to the gym in the time I wasn't at school or practice."
The strong bonds that Limstrom formed with his friends living in the dorm also extended to other students, faculty, and staff.
"One of the most important things I experienced at HPA was the sense of community," Limstrom commented. "I keep in contact with a lot of people. We still check in on one another and see what we are doing with our lives."
Football became very important to Limstrom. When he graduated from HPA, he chose to play football at Linfield and then at Willamette. His memories from HPA played a key role in his decision to continue playing football.
"The thing I loved most about playing football for HPA was my growth (in the game), Limstrom said. "When I first started playing for them I wasn't very good. But through those experiences, I was able to better myself and become the best player I could be. An important learning experience that I had was getting hit hard constantly in my early years playing football there. I had to get back up and learn how to hit them even harder next time around."
Working to improve as a football player meant that Limstrom had to focus on practicing and playing, and also on working out in the weight room. It was challenging and rewarding for him.
"I would say the biggest memory I have at HPA is waking up every morning for five days a week at 5:45 a.m. because the gym was only open from 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. This certainly made me into the morning person that I am today!, Limstrom noted.
"I had a lot of positive experiences playing football," Limstrom added regarding his three years at HPA. "We were always the underdog, so it was a lot of fun surprising the other teams when I would do something cool. I had a lot of great coaches, some of which were former NFL players, and they showed me some things that shaped the way I saw the football field. The main takeaway I got was to give 100% every play no matter the circumstances."
Even with a busy schedule of studying and playing three sports, Limstrom found some time for outside activities. "When I lived in Hawaii I managed to get off campus quite a bit despite never having Saturdays to myself because of sports," Limstrom said. "A lot of times my friends and I would go spearfishing, or they would go surfing and I would try my best."
After finishing at Hawaii Preparatory Academy and attending Linfield for two seasons, Limstrom transferred to Willamette this fall. "I decided to transfer from Linfield in search of different opportunities," Limstrom said. "The thing I like most about being on the Willamette football team is the support that I get, not only academically, but the relationship I have with the team is something I wouldn't trade for the world."
In his first season at Willamette this fall, Limstrom played in five games. He earned three tackles and continued to expand his skills as a football player.
"I improved in a lot of ways this year," he noted. "I feel like my awareness of what is happening on the field has gotten better just from being at practice, and I was able to improve using my speed to my advantage."
There are special memories for Limstrom from his first season with the Bearcats. Some of them are from plays on the field, others are from practicing and sharing time with teammates.
"A few things that I will take away from this year are the time I spent with the team," Limstrom affirmed. "Often, after practice or games we break on 'family' and I feel like that is very real with this group of guys. Also, I had a blast playing special teams this year, and my highlight would probably be getting a turnover on a punt against Puget Sound in the first game. Despite not having the season go the way everyone had hoped, at the end of the day, I got to meet some pretty cool dudes and I can tell that we are going to work toward having a more successful season next year."
It's been great for Limstrom to play in front of fans, including some of his friends from Hawaii Preparatory Academy.
"I have plenty of friends who I went with to HPA who go to school in the area (Oregon) and come to watch my games, as well as a couple of people I went with to HPA who play football at Willamette," Limstrom said. "My parents proudly stream all the games on the big screen!"
Now that he's settled into Willamette, Limstrom is focusing on his academic plans.
"I will be declaring History as my major. However, my dream would be to get into law school someday," he said.
Limstrom also finds time for some of his other interests when he's not studying, attending classes, or practicing for football.
"Some things I like to do at Willamette are hanging out with friends, taking my dog to the park, and most of all, going to Habaneros Mexican restaurant," he commented.
