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2nd Round Selection: James Hardy WR Indiana

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JAMES HARDY

Wide Receiver

Indiana University Hoosiers

#82

6:05.6-221

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Elmhurst High School

 

OVERVIEW

A highly sought small forward, the 185-pound Elmhurst basketball player arrived at Indiana’s campus intent on adding to the school’s hoops legacy in 2004. After one season with that team, the lanky athlete decided to give up the hardwood for the gridiron, joining the Hoosiers’ football team. By the time he decided to leave for the National Football League three years later, he had shattered the school’s season and career receiving records.

 

Hardy is the only wide receiver in Indiana history to surpass 2,500 yards, 175 receptions and 35 touchdowns. He finished his career with 36 scores on 191 catches, good for 2,740 yards. He also made a significant contribution on the basketball team as a freshman. During the 2004-05 campaign, he played in 23 games, starting three times, as he averaged 1.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 10.7 minutes per contest.

 

Hardy was a two-sport standout at Fort Wayne Elmhurst High School, where he was named All-SAC as a wide receiver after making 34 catches for 731 yards and ten touchdowns as a senior. Following his final campaign, he was a Class 4A All-State selection by the Indiana Football Coaches Association. For the basketball team, he is still the all-time leading scorer in Fort Wayne high school history. He was a two-time recipient of the Tiffany Gooden Award, given to the most outstanding male or female player in The Summit Athletic Conference, as chosen by The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette.

 

Hardy led the team to a Class AAA state runner-up finish in 2002-03 after averaging 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists. As a senior, Hardy averaged 27.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists, as the team finished with a 16-8 record. He was rated the 78th-best prep basketball player in the nation on the Insiders.com Top 100 squad.

 

After spending the 2004 football season with the scout team and the 2004-05 campaign with the basketball squad, Hardy concentrated strictly on the gridiron team in 2005. He earned second-team All-Big Ten Conference honors, in addition to being a member of Rival.com’s Freshman All-American team.

 

Hardy started five of ten games he appeared in at split end. He led the Big Ten with an average of 89.3 yards per game receiving in 2005. His 61 catches rank third on the school’s season-record list, with 893 yards with ten TDs.

 

Hardy had an equally impressive performance in 2006 as he did during his redshirt freshman season. He caught at least five passes in six of his last seven games, finishing with 51 receptions for 722 yards (14.2 avg) and ten touchdowns.

 

As a junior, Hardy received several All-American first-team honors in addition to earning All-Big Ten Conference accolades. He led the team and ranked second in the league, as he set school season-records with 79 catches for 1,125 yards (14.2 avg) and sixteen touchdowns.

 

In 36 games at Indiana, Hardy started 26 contests. He finished his career by hauling in 191 passes for 2,740 yards (14.4 avg) and 36 touchdowns. He also scored 216 points and recorded one solo tackle.

 

CAREER NOTES

Hardy’s 36 touchdown receptions set a school career-record, topping the previous mark of 30 scores…His 36 touchdown grabs rank third in Big Ten Conference history behind Braylon Edwards of Michigan (39, 2001-04) and Anthony Carter of Michigan (37, 1979-82)…His 36 scoring grabs rank fourth on the school’s overall touchdown record list…Hardy’s sixteen touchdown receptions in 2007 set a school season-record and tied with Taylor Stubblefield of Purdue (2004) for third on the Big Ten’s annual record list…His four touchdown catches vs. Michigan State in 2004 set a Hoosiers game-record and rank tied for third in league annals…Scored 96 points in 2007, tying Pete Stoyanovich (1988) for fourth on the school’s season-record list…His 191 receptions broke the previous school career-record of 170 by Courtney Roby (2001-04)…Hardy’s 79 catches in 2007 surpassed the old Indiana annual record of 66 grabs by Ernie Jones in 1987, as Hardy’s 61 catches in 2005 rank third on that list…Gained 2,740 yards receiving during his career, topping the old school all-time record of 2,524 yards by Courtney Roby…His 1,125 receiving yards in 2007 rank second on Indiana’s season-record list behind Ernie Jones’ 1,265 yards in 1987… Became the fourth player in school history to gain over 200 yards receiving in a game, amassing 203 yards vs. Iowa in 2005…When Hardy caught three touchdowns vs. Iowa in 2006, he became the first Hoosier to catch three passes for scores in a game since Duane Gunn in 1983.

2007 SEASON

All-American first-team selection by The NFL Draft Report, adding second-team honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Rivals.com and third-team accolades from the Associated Press…All-Big Ten Conference first-team choice…Named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year by Rivals.com…Set school season-records with 79 catches for 1,125 yards (14.2 avg) and sixteen touchdowns…Ranked tied for second in the Big Ten with an average of 6.08 receptions per game and third with an average of 86.54 yards per contest…Scored 96 points, tying for fourth on the school’s season-record list…Had a total of 144 passes targeted to him, as 21 of those throws were deflected by the opposition and he also turned the ball over twice on fumbles after catches…53 of his 79 receptions were good for first downs, as he converted 22-of-44 third-down passes targeted to him…Made twelve of his catches inside the red zone, including seven on goal-line plays…Had 17 catches for 20 yards or longer and key receptions that set up 21 touchdown drives and four others that resulted in field goals.

 

2006 SEASON

Hardy started ten of eight games at split end, coming off the bench vs. Ball State and Iowa…Still managed to lead the team with 51 receptions for 722 yards (14.2 avg) and ten touchdowns…Ranked third in the Big Ten Conference in receptions per game (5.1) and second in receiving yardage (72.2 ypg)…Scored 60 points and recorded a solo tackle vs. Minnesota.

 

2005 SEASON

All-Big Ten Conference second-team selection…Freshman All-American choice by Rivals.com…Played in ten games, starting at split end vs. Nicholls State, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa… Led the conference with an average of 89.3 yards per game receiving…Led the team with 61 receptions, the third-best season total in school history…Gained 893 yards (14.6 avg) with ten touchdowns.

 

2004 SEASON

Redshirted with the scout team.

BASKETBALL

Lettered on the Indiana basketball team during the 2004-05 season…Made significant contributions during his first year with the Hoosiers, as he played in 23 games during the year, starting three times…Averaged 1.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 10.7 minutes per game…Made his first career start at top-ranked Illinois (2/6) and accounted for six points and a rebound in 18 minutes of action…Scored a career-best seven points off the bench in Indiana’s double overtime win vs. Purdue (1/15)…Matched his career high with seven points in 16 minutes vs. Vanderbilt (3/16) in the NIT Tournament…Had four points and a career-high eight rebounds in 17 minutes of action in a win over Oral Roberts (12/31).

 

CAMPUS AGILITY TESTS

4.61 in the 40-yard dash…255-pound bench press…39-inch vertical jump…33 1/8-inch arm length…9 3/8-inch hands.

 

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Elmhurst (Fort Wayne, Ind.) High School, where he was a standout in both football and basketball…Named All-SAC as a wide receiver after making 34 catches for 731 yards and ten touchdowns as a senior…Following his final campaign, he was a Class 4A All-State selection by the Indiana Football Coaches Association…For the basketball team, he is still the all-time leading scorer in Fort Wayne high school history…Two-time recipient of the Tiffany Gooden Award, given to the most out-standing male or female player in The Summit Athletic Conference, as chosen by The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette…Led the basketball team to a Class AAA state runner-up finish in 2002-03 after averaging 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists…As a senior, Hardy averaged 27.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists, as the team finished with a 16-8 record…Rated the 78th-best prep basket-ball player in the nation on the Insiders.com Top 100 squad.

 

PERSONAL

General Studies major, enrolled in the University Division…Played basketball for Maximum Sports in the AAU ranks…Son of Jeanie Summerville…Born 12/24/85…Resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

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