Greg Hardy

Gregory McKarl Hardy (born July 28, 1988) is a former American football defensive end, professional mixed martial artist, and professional boxer who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers.

In football, he helped lead his team to the state championship in 2004.

As a senior, he was credited with 65 tackles, including 12 for loss and six sacks, while also receiving 48 passes for 268 yards.

Hardy played with offensive tackle Michael Oher at both Briarcrest Christian School and Ole Miss.

In basketball, he was an honorable mention all-state as a junior.

In track & field, Hardy earned a letter competing as a sprinter and shot putter.

In sprints, he ran the 200-meter dash in 24.04 seconds as a sophomore.

In the shot put, he got a top-throw of 14.47 m. In addition, he also recorded a 4.8-second 40-yard dash and had a 28-inch vertical jump.

Hardy was considered a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, and was ranked No. 30 among weakside defensive end prospects, No. 44 according to Scout.com.

He was an all-state pick who was rated as the No. 5 player in Tennessee by Super Prep, No. 8 by Scout.com and No. 12 by Rivals.com.

He was also named All-Metro by The Commercial Appeal.

Hardy accepted a football scholarship from the University of Mississippi.

As a freshman, he played in all 12 games, with 9 starts at left defensive end.

He posted 49 tackles (fifth on the team), 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

He spent time at wide receiver against Mississippi State University, making a 23 yards touchdown reception.

As a sophomore, he played in 10 games out of 12 games with four starts at defensive end.

He tallied 64 tackles (fourth on the team), 10 sacks (led the conference), 18.5 tackles for loss (second in the conference), 3 forced fumbles and 2 touchdown receptions on offense.

As a junior, he missed the first three games after having foot surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot.

He played in 9 out of 13 games because of injuries, recording 18 tackles, 8.5 sacks (third in the conference), 9.5 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback pressures, one interception and one pass defensed.

In the 2006–07 basketball season, he played in 15 games (one start), while averaging just under one point and two rebounds per contest.

His best performance came against the two-time national champion University of Florida in the semifinals of the 2007 SEC tournament, where he had 6 points and 4 rebounds.

Hardy was considered one of the best pass rushers eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft but he elected to return to Ole Miss for his senior season.

In January 2009, he underwent a second surgery to his right foot during the off-season.

On July 12, 2009, he was involved in a car accident along with teammate Dexter McCluster, where he aggravated the foot injury and was put back in a walking cast.

As a senior, he appeared in 9 out of 13 games (including the Cotton Bowl Classic), after missing the final three regular-season contests because of a surgery on his fractured left wrist.

He registered 16 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks (tied for third on the team), 4 quarterback pressures, 3 passes defensed and one fumble recovery.

Hardy finished his college career with 39.5 career tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks.

In the April 2009 edition of Sports Illustrated, Hardy was named a top prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft.

However, injuries, poor production, and an unimpressive combine caused his draft stock to fall significantly.

He played college football at Ole Miss and was selected by the Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Hardy was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round (175th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.

He was signed to a contract on June 17, 2010.

Hardy managed to record a blocked punt for a safety as well as force a fumble and record 4 tackles in his rookie debut.

Hardy's 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.

Although 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.

After the conclusion of his football career, Hardy became a mixed martial artist.

He was signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 2019 to 2022, where he competed in the heavyweight division.

Hardy attended Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tennessee, where he was a three-sport letterman in football, basketball and track.