Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1138762
est with his performance against Man- heim Central, and he already had another admirer on Penn State's coaching sta6. "I've been close with Coach [Terry] Smith for a couple years," Hardy said. "I 5rst really got to know him through my teammate and his nephew, Tank Smith. I remember when he came to one of my games during my junior year and I had a few interceptions. Ever since then, me and Coach Terry have been good. We al- ways stayed in touch and had a good rela- tionship." Prior to the state championship game, Smith's conversations with Hardy were more casual. "He would ask about how my season was going, stu6 like that," Hardy said. "But a8er that game, that's when it all changed. Literally the day a8er that it all changed." Following the early signing period in December, Hardy was one of several prospects that Penn State was still con- sidering. A defensive back and a special teams playmaker were high on the sta6's wish list, but there were concerns about whether Hardy's size – he stands 5-foot- 9, 160 pounds – would hinder him at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. That was an issue throughout his re- cruitment, and not just with Penn State. In the spring of 2018, Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska all extended o6ers. Hardy even went out to Michigan to visit the two Big Ten programs. At one point, he thought one of those schools would become his future home. "At the end of my junior year, I tried to commit to Michigan," he said. "They told me they were waiting for other players to see what they were going to do 5rst. So, a8er that, I just disregarded them." The scholarships at Michigan State and Nebraska also disappeared over the sum- mer, but Hardy was never bothered. He was con5dent that someone would give him a chance. "I never got upset about it because I see a lot of people in the NFL that are my size," Hardy said. "Look at Julian Edelman. Super Bowl MVP. So I always knew that, no mat- ter where I go, I'm going to get an opportu- nity to prove myself. "But at the same time, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want the chance to play at a big school like Penn State, just because I know I'm cut out for it." With only 10 days remaining in the 2019 recruiting cycle, it looked as if Hardy was destined to end up at a school in the Mid- American Conference: Bu6alo. During the 5nal weekend in January, he spent time on Penn State's campus, taking an o7cial visit, but Hardy went back to Pittsburgh without an o6er. Franklin and Smith made it clear that there was still a chance, but Hardy was understandably upset when he le8 that day. As the calendar turned to February, he took one last o7cial visit to Akron, hold- ing out hope that an o6er from Penn State would come. "Two days before signing day, I actually committed to Bu6alo," Hardy said. "I did- n't announce it publicly. I was going to announce on signing day. But then, the next day, Coach Smith calls me up. I'll never forget it. I was at lunch. He asked, 'Do you really want to go to Penn State? How much do you want this?' Of course, I just kept telling him yes and that it was my dream school. "He then let me know about the o6er, and I'll just never forget that feeling. As soon as I got o6 the phone with him, I called my mom. She was screaming and going nuts. It felt good making her proud, and all my friends were excited. One of my friends actually came on the microphone and announced to the entire school that I got the Penn State o6er. I came back into the cafeteria and everyone was going nuts." Hardy began his time at PSU last month, enrolling June 10. He knows the next level won't be easy, but like all great athletes, he's also con5dent that he'll be able to show Nittany Nation that he belongs. "All I ever wanted was a chance at this level. That's all I was hoping for," Hardy said. "I know there are people who will doubt me and think I'm too small or whatever. That's OK. I know how hard I work and I know how much I want this. I'm excited for the opportunity. I'm ex- cited to show everyone what I can do." ■