Greg Hardy

Lore & Background

Hardy played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels and was selected by the Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft. His most successful season was in 2013 when he set the Panthers single-season record for sacks, earning him Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. During the following off-season, however, Hardy was found guilty of assaulting a former girlfriend. Following Hardy's appeal, the case was dismissed after the victim failed to appear in court. The ensuing controversy led to him not being re-signed by the Panthers after playing one game with them in 2014. Hardy spent his final NFL season with the Dallas Cowboys.

In Their Own Story

The stadium is half-full, the lights cutting through a thin Charlotte fog. You can smell the cut grass and the cheap beer from the concession stands. Hardy lines up over the center, helmet low, shoulders squared, and for a split second the noise in the building just… stops. The snap comes. He's through the A-gap before the guard can set his feet, and the running back — a guy who's been gashing defenses all season — folds like a lawn chair. The crowd detonates. Hardy turns, looks up at the upper deck where a kid in a size-small jersey is screaming, and for one frame he's not a suspension headline or a draft board name. He's just a linebacker in a blue helmet, and the gridiron is exactly where he belongs.

Reader's Guide

Hardy attended Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tennessee, where he was a three-sport letterman in football, basketball and track. He played with offensive tackle Michael Oher at both Briarcrest Christian School and Ole Miss. In college, he played defensive end for the Ole Miss Rebels, finishing his college career with 39.5 career tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round (175th overall) of the 2010 NFL draft. He played for the Panthers from 2010 through 2014, setting a team record with 15 sacks in 2013. After his NFL career, Hardy became a mixed martial artist and was signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 2019 to 2022, competing in the heavyweight division.

Did You Know?

• Hardy set the Panthers single-season sack record with 15 sacks in 2013.
• He was found guilty of assaulting a former girlfriend in 2014, but the case was dismissed after the victim failed to appear in court.
• Hardy played with offensive tackle Michael Oher at both Briarcrest Christian School and Ole Miss.
• He was selected by the Panthers in the sixth round (175th overall) of the 2010 NFL draft.