Jamie Hanford plays for Colorado Mammoth
By PAULA PARISOT
2/14/2006

A Connecticut loan originator is also a professional lacrosse player who has played on the U.S. World Cup team.

Jamie Hanford said he began playing lacrosse in his sophomore year in high school. He performed so well that he was given a scholarship to Loyola (Md.) and then was drafted straight out of college to play professionally. At 30 years old, he continues to play on the National Lacrosse League and also on the Major Lacrosse League in his hometown.

Hanford, a Darien, Conn., resident who plays both defense and faceoff, was a member of the U.S. World Cup team in 2000 and has been the National League's best faceoff man for four seasons running, according Colorado Mammoth's player stats. He was also named to the All-star team with the New Jersey Storm in 2002 and with Colorado in 2004.

He said he puts in a full week as an originator at Landmark Financial Group, LLC, a 37-employee company that reportedly funded $700 million last year. But he reserves his evenings and weekends for his sports career.

"It takes a lot of training," he told MortgageDaily.com. "You really have to be in good shape and be dedicated to training."

"You are competing with 22-year-olds out there," Hanford said. "And now that I'm getting older ... I have a personal trainer, if I didn't have him I don't know if I could do it."

Hanford said he is still on top of his game but doesn't see himself playing much past age 35. "It's a lot of traveling, it takes a toll on you," he said. "I definitely will stay in the mortgage business, I like it a lot."

Landmark Financial co-owner Hayden Cadwallader said Hanford does well in his performances both at work and on the field. He said he's attended many of the hometown games and has known Hanford's family for years, including Hanford's mother who he said is a successful real estate agent.

Cadwallader said that Hanford is very self-motivated, like most of his employees who are on commission. "He's into his second year now and he has a lot of contacts," he told MortgageDaily.com. "It takes a while to build up your business."

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