Photo by: Garrett Becker
BOBCATS 125: Daniel Hardy
6/28/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
Daniel Hardy's sensational 2021 season helped propel the Cats to the FCS title game
Leading to the 2022 season, the 125th anniversary of Montana State's first football team, we will look at 125 of the greatest Bobcats. You can find details here and a directory here.
Daniel Hardy, OLB/DE, 2018-21
ALL-TIME TEAM: None previously
HONORS: 2nd Team All-America and 1st Team All-Big Sky in 2021
A CLOSER LOOK: No one has ever used a redshirt season, planned or otherwise, better than Daniel Hardy in 2020. Without games due to the global pandemic Hardy set about to improve in the time void leading to the fall of 2021. And man, did he ever. Hardy gained weight, size, flexibility, explosiveness... he improved physically in every way imaginable. Already known as an amazing teammate and emerging leader, he also honed those skills and characteristics. The result was a season for the ages. Hardy's 24.5 tackles-for-loss was third-most in Bobcat history in a season, and his 16.5 sacks was fourth-most. He had 3.5 sacks on his way to earning Big Sky Player of the Week honors at Weber State in a game that set up the Cats as a prime contender for a high FCS Playoff seed, and he forced a fumble against South Dakota State in one of the most thrilling, memorable games in Bobcat football history. Hardy finished sixth in the FCS in sacks and ninth in tackles-for-loss. All of the stats, all the honors, all the success, came after a coaching staff change spurred Hardy's move to a conventional defensive end spot in a 4-3 defense after playing outside linebacker in his previous two seasons at MSU. Former Bobcat coach Jeff Choate, who recruited the Portland area product to MSU from Siskiyous College in California, made the comment on a couple of occasions that had Hardy remained in the junior college ranks for another year the list of schools competing for his services likely would have included several in the Pac 12 and Mountain West. Instead Hardy attacked the opportunity to come to Bozeman and play a lot of football early in his Division I career just as he would the chance to make significant, life-changing improvements in the winter of 2020-021. One of the great things about football at the FCS level is that everyone around a program has exposure to players as human beings rather than just football payers, and everyone around Bobcat football fortunate enough to experience Daniel Hardy found him to be a genuine, ebullient, uplifting person. Hardy competed in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in February, and seemed surprised when the Rams called his name in the 2022 NFL Draft. It's almost impossible to imagine him not contributing on special teams this season after his wrecking ball kickoff coverage campaign in 2021. He will undoubtedly make Bobcat fans proud as an NFL player, and will be a credit to his alma mater for years to come.
FROM FORMER BOBCAT HEAD COACH JEFF CHOATE: "Daniel really had a spectacular year (as a senior). He was still improving when he got here, having played one year of high school football and one year of junior college football, and that's the story on Daniel Hardy. His hard work and ability to improve put him in the position he's in, and he's an incredible athlete if you've ever watched him dunk a basketball. I think he benefited from the scheme change, playing with his hand on the ground as a true down lineman. That (2021) defense goes down as one of the best in school history, and in part that's a tribute to the work Daniel put in. He's an awesome kid, and I'm so happy for the success he's having."
Daniel Hardy, OLB/DE, 2018-21
ALL-TIME TEAM: None previously
HONORS: 2nd Team All-America and 1st Team All-Big Sky in 2021
A CLOSER LOOK: No one has ever used a redshirt season, planned or otherwise, better than Daniel Hardy in 2020. Without games due to the global pandemic Hardy set about to improve in the time void leading to the fall of 2021. And man, did he ever. Hardy gained weight, size, flexibility, explosiveness... he improved physically in every way imaginable. Already known as an amazing teammate and emerging leader, he also honed those skills and characteristics. The result was a season for the ages. Hardy's 24.5 tackles-for-loss was third-most in Bobcat history in a season, and his 16.5 sacks was fourth-most. He had 3.5 sacks on his way to earning Big Sky Player of the Week honors at Weber State in a game that set up the Cats as a prime contender for a high FCS Playoff seed, and he forced a fumble against South Dakota State in one of the most thrilling, memorable games in Bobcat football history. Hardy finished sixth in the FCS in sacks and ninth in tackles-for-loss. All of the stats, all the honors, all the success, came after a coaching staff change spurred Hardy's move to a conventional defensive end spot in a 4-3 defense after playing outside linebacker in his previous two seasons at MSU. Former Bobcat coach Jeff Choate, who recruited the Portland area product to MSU from Siskiyous College in California, made the comment on a couple of occasions that had Hardy remained in the junior college ranks for another year the list of schools competing for his services likely would have included several in the Pac 12 and Mountain West. Instead Hardy attacked the opportunity to come to Bozeman and play a lot of football early in his Division I career just as he would the chance to make significant, life-changing improvements in the winter of 2020-021. One of the great things about football at the FCS level is that everyone around a program has exposure to players as human beings rather than just football payers, and everyone around Bobcat football fortunate enough to experience Daniel Hardy found him to be a genuine, ebullient, uplifting person. Hardy competed in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in February, and seemed surprised when the Rams called his name in the 2022 NFL Draft. It's almost impossible to imagine him not contributing on special teams this season after his wrecking ball kickoff coverage campaign in 2021. He will undoubtedly make Bobcat fans proud as an NFL player, and will be a credit to his alma mater for years to come.
FROM FORMER BOBCAT HEAD COACH JEFF CHOATE: "Daniel really had a spectacular year (as a senior). He was still improving when he got here, having played one year of high school football and one year of junior college football, and that's the story on Daniel Hardy. His hard work and ability to improve put him in the position he's in, and he's an incredible athlete if you've ever watched him dunk a basketball. I think he benefited from the scheme change, playing with his hand on the ground as a true down lineman. That (2021) defense goes down as one of the best in school history, and in part that's a tribute to the work Daniel put in. He's an awesome kid, and I'm so happy for the success he's having."
Players Mentioned
LB
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