James Hardy: NFL Scouting Report

Overview

James Hardy was a coveted basketball prospect. A 185-pound Elmhurst High School product arrived in Bloomington intent on taking part in IU's hoops legacy in 2004. After one season with that team, the lanky athlete decided to commit to the gridiron. 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 10 touchdowns as a senior. Following his final campaign, he was a Class 4A All-State selection by the Indiana Football Coaches Association.

Hardy is 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 out-standing 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 football in 2005. He earned second-team All-Big Ten Conference honors, in addition to being a member of Rivals.com's Freshman All-American team.

Hardy started five of 10 games he appeared in at split end, missing the Michigan clash with a strained Achilles tendon. 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 single-season record list, as he totaled 893 yards with 10 touchdowns.

On the field, Hardy had an equally impressive performance in 2006 as he did during his redshirt freshman season. But off the field, trouble followed. He was arrested on May 19 on charges of domestic battery and interfering with the reporting of a crime, after his girlfriend accused him of hitting her and the couple's infant child.

Hardy pleaded not guilty to the charges and later accepted a court's offer in Fort Wayne to settle his case through a pretrial diversion agreement. By accepting the program, he had to comply with the conditions of the agreement and pay court costs. He also apologized to his teammates and IU in his statement.

There were problems with Hardy and Indiana's late head coach Terry Hoeppner. After the second game of the 2006 season, the two met privately, resulting in the coach suspending Hardy for two games (vs. Southern Illinois and Connecticut).

When Hardy returned to the lineup, he was rusty from his layoff and was flagged for critical offensive pass interference on the Hoosiers' opening drive of the Wisconsin clash, finishing with an eight-yard catch for the day. He soon got back into his rhythm, catching at least five passes in six of his last seven games, finishing with 51 receptions for 722 yards (14.2-yard average) and 10 touchdowns.

As a junior, Hardy received several All-American first-team honors, in addition earned 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-yard average) and 16 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 record, topping the previous mark of 30 scores by Jade Butcher (1967-69)...His 36 touchdown catches 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, topped by Anthony Thompson (68, 1986-89), Antwaan Randle El (45, 1998-2001) and Levron Williams (38, 1998-2001)...Hardy's 16 touchdown receptions in 2007 set a school record and rank tied with Taylor Stubblefield of Purdue (2004) for third on the Big Ten's annual record list behind Desmond Howard of Michigan (19 in 1991) and Terry Glenn (17 in 1995)...His four touchdown catches vs. Michigan State in 2004 set a Hoosiers game-record and rank tied for third in league annals behind Omar Douglas of Minnesota (five vs. Purdue in 1993) and Lee Evans of Wisconsin (five vs. Michigan State in 2003)...Scored 96 points in 2007, tying Pete Stoyanovich (1988) for fourth on the school's single-season list, ranking behind Anthony Thompson 156 in 1988; 154 in 1989) and Levron Williams (114 in 2001)...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 to join Thomas Lewis (285 vs. Penn State, 1993), Tyrone Browning (258 vs. Western Michigan, 1998) and Nate Lundy (256 vs. Colorado, 1980) on that lofty list...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.

High School

Attended Elmhurst (Fort Wayne, Ind.) High School, where he was a standout in both foot-ball and basketball...Named All-SAC as a wide receiver after making 34 catches for 731 yards and 10 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 outstanding 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.

Analysis

Positives: Has that rare-sized frame with an impressive combination of long limbs, excellent leaping ability and timing to high-point the ball...Has just adequate speed, but is deceptively quick getting into his routes...Needs to get stronger, but is a playmaker who uses his tall frame and long arms to get to a lot of off-target throws...Will struggle to defeat the press, but if he gets a clean release, he builds his acceleration steadily...Not the type that will separate after the catch, but can elude to get extra yardage...His height poses a great challenge for smaller defenders, especially on fades and post patterns...Gathers to make his cuts and while he lacks blazing speed, he is light on his feet...Moves well in space, showing smooth comeback running ability in the zone...Tough in a crowd, using his size to wall off and shield the ball from the defender...Sticks his foot in the ground to change direction and does a nice job of setting up the defender with good stutter-step moves after the catch... More of a shifty route runner than sudden, but he has loose hips and the juke moves needed to make the initial tackler miss...Quite effective on the bubble screen, as he uses his long arms well to look the ball in...Too tall to sink his pads as well as the other receivers, but uses his deceptive speed to generate movement...When he maintains good concentration, he is very effective at catching in a crowd...Does a good job of tracking the ball in flight while making proper body adjustments to get under the pass...Snaps off his route and comes back for the off-target throws...Has large, soft hands, plucking the ball out of the air with his long fingers properly extended...Has excellent arm extension to maintain position for the high passes... Like Keyshawn Johnson, he has the ability to keep his feet inbounds working the sideline and the flexibility to catch the over-the-shoulder passes...Runs with good body lean and while he won't win many open field foot races, he has the stride and stop-and-go action that allows him to suddenly freeze the defender after the catch...Shows a decent burst running the flash screen, but it is ability to adjust in stride that lets him get into position to make the catch.

Negatives: Needs to add bulk and more muscle tone to his body, as he has the linear build of a basketball player...His lanky frame poses problems, as he struggles vs. the more physical cornerbacks to get off the line due to marginal upper-body strength in attempts to get a push off the jam...Not a sharp route runner, as he does take some soft angle cuts...Best on controlled or intermediate routes, as he lacks the timed speed to gobble up the cushion and get behind the speedy cornerbacks on deep routes (would be more effective if he shortened his stride coming out of his cuts)...Has had concentration problems, resulting in a fair share of dropped balls...Lacks aggression and desire as a blocker...Needs to show better awareness on corner and post routes as it seems he wants to turn and run before properly securing the ball...Shows some wasted motion trying to accelerate and burst when running underneath routes...Has some character issues and one off-field problem that needs further clarification, and he must be upfront in interviews at the Combine... Despite his size and leaping ability, he only caught 79 of 144 balls thrown to him in 2007, as the opposition managed to deflect 21 of those passes.

Compares To: HAROLD CARMICHAEL-ex-Philadelphia...You might have to ask your dad who Harold Carmichael was, but Hardy is in the same mold -- a tall, lanky receiver with a great reach and excellent leaping ability whose jump ball skills will create nightmares for smaller cornerbacks. Those defenders generally get into lots of trouble trying to stop Hardy from getting to the jump balls, evident by the 10 pass interference penalties charged to those covering Hardy in 2007. Some say he is like the Giants' Plaxico Burress, but he lacks the bulk, strength and explosive burst that Burress brings with his game. Use him on fades or bubble screens and he is sure to move the chains, but he is going to have to dedicate a few hours to the weight room, as his lack of ideal strength could become an issue, especially trying to beat the jam.

Injury Report

2005: Sat out the Michigan game (11/12) after suffering an Achilles tendon strain the previous week vs. Minnesota (11/05).

2007: Suffered a left ring finger fracture early in August camp and had the finger placed in a splint for two weeks.

2008 NFL Combine Results

Top 10 Performer in:

Bench Press - 18 Reps, 9th overall for WR

Broad Jump - 10'5", Tied for 8th overall for WR

3-Cone Drill - 6.84 seconds, 7th overall for WR

20-Yard Shuttle - 4.20 seconds, Tied for 7th overall for WR

Copyright NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.

IU Hires Dennis Springer to Replace Gerald Brown....

As everyone knows by now, the IU running backs coach Gerald Brown has left the team and is heading to become an assistant coach in the NFL for the Falcons. Congratulations to Coach Brown, as we wish him the best for his future. The Hoosier nation will be watching.

What this does is leave an open position for Coach Lynch to fill, and fill it he has. Last Thursday (2/14/08) Dennis Springer was named as the new running backs coach. Springer played two years for Lynch at Butler, was a graduate assistant for 2 years, then an assistant at Ball State for 8 years.

In his 8 years as a full time assistant at Ball State, Coach Springer was the wide receivers coach for 4 years, linebackers for 2 years, and his final 2 years at Ball State he was the DB coach. Notice that he was NOT a running backs coach.

After leaving Ball State, Coach Springer got a position as a Running Backs coach for the Bowling Green State University Falcons. He started his campaign as RB coach in the 2003 season. At the end of the season BGSU had averaged 196.4 yards per game on 4.7 yards per carry to gain 2750 yards and score 29 TD’s. Looks very impressive huh? It would be until you look at 2 years later, his 3rd season as RB coach where they averaged 143.7 yards per game off of 3.8 yards per carry on their way to 1581 rushing yards and only 19 TD’s. His next and last season he was the Safeties coach for BGSU.

This last season he spent as the DB coach for Western Kentucky University, a team who gave up 184.6 passing yards per game last year.

So let me recap, we have a former player and assistant who is a friend of Coach Lynch who has 13 years of coaching experience, only 3 years experience at the position he has been named.

While Coach Springer is well respective by his peers, and has been slated as a very solid recruiter, I personally am not sold on him in this position. I mean if you’re looking for an assistant, there is a better qualified assistant on the Western Kentucky staff in Kevin Wright, the Hilltoppers’ Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks’ coach.

For those of you who are not familiar with Indiana High School football or with Coach Wright, I will give you a short background of why he would have been a better pick. Kevin Wright is the son of Indiana High School Football legend Larry “Bud” Wright, the 9 time (and past 3 straight) Class 1A State Champion coach of the Sheridan Blackhawks.
Kevin Wright made a name for himself when he took Warren Central (Indianapolis) from whipping boy to State Champions. They won 3 straight under Coach Wright, and their 4th straight the season after Coach Wright moved on. His predecessor who was the coach for the 4th state title has since been fired just 2 years removed from Kevin Wright.

Coach Wright and his ties to football in the state of Indiana and especially the factory that is Warren Central would have made him an extremely valuable member of the staff.

However, Coach Springer is now our man, we need to rally behind him, and hope he does the best job for our running backs, and hopefully makes the push to make Thigpen a slot receiver and concentrate on Payton and Willis as the two feature backs.

Go Hoosiers!

5 Players Arrested

Five of IU's football players were arrested for various charges over the weekend. If you would like you can read the story on the Hoosier Scoop by clicking this link: http://blogs.heraldtimesonline.com/iusp/?p=1529

I have mixed emotions on how this should be dealt with, on one hand these are still young men, they are in college, and they are having fun. I remember being that age, doing crazy stuff, even will admit now to some under age consumption. I also think about if these were 5 regular college kids that we would never read or hear about this.

Now out comes the fan, ex-player, and coach inside me. These 5 boys get a free education to play a game. They get to put on a set of pads and a jersey and represent this school and the over 1 million alumni every Saturday in the fall. Rather they like it or not, they are representatives of Indiana University, there are young kids up to high school players who desire to be like them, to get a scholarship to a Big Ten school, to play in College Football's top level. They have to hold themselves to a higher standard than their peers, they have more to lose.

We will see what kind of Coach and what kind of integrity Bill Lynch has. Will this be handled internally (I.E. extra laps after practice 1 day) or will he handle this in the open, show the IU nation that he is serious about building a solid and reputable program.


How would I handle this?

This is where my reputation for being a hard ass comes to light. From now till the end of spring practice, these boys would go through hell after everyone else is done for the night. There are a whole lot of stairs for each one of their feet to touch in Memorial Stadium every night!

That would just be the start. All 5 would be suspend from the first two games of the 2008 season. Not just suspended, but not allowed in the locker room, or on the field with their teammates!

After each of the first two games, all 5 would be brought to Memorial Stadium in Orange jump suits. They would be handed a set of gloves and a trash bag. These five young men would be responsible for picking up every nacho tray, plastic cup and hot dog wrapper left behind in then entire stadium. Once they got every thing picked up, they would be allowed to run every step in the stadium. They could then return home where they would check in with the coaching staff to verify their return.

They would have another option, that would be to choose not to abide by the punishment set forth, forgo their scholarships, and be removed from the roster permanently.

EDIT: After some time to think, I was a little harsh. A single game suspension and clean up of Memorial Stadium without the jump suits would be fine. They would still spend time after practice running, but maybe only 2 weeks.
These are my thoughts on this, now share with me yours!

A Medical Emergency Trumps a Trip to The Rock!

In my previous post I stated that I planned to make the trip to The Rock tonight for the press conference to introduce the new recruits for the 2008 season.

I never made it.

As I was finishing up my day, and getting ready to head home to get my son, his friend, and my camera. I had just logged off my computer when my desk phone rang, I look at the number and it is my mothers phone. I answer the phone to "Michael got hurt at the Y, it is his knee, meet me at his doctor!". So of course I rush out the door, get to his doctor right when they pull up. I pick my son up and carry him inside with tears rolling down his scared face.

After 2 hours and some x-rays, the doctor determines his knee is slightly dislocated. The knee was popped back in place, and he is feeling fine.

As all of this happened right before we were to get ready to to The Rock, I was not able to get anyone to fill in for me.

Sometimes life gets in the way, but the good news he is fine.

National Signing Day is HERE!!!

I know I am late on putting up this post, but at times my real job has to take priority over things I want to do.

Today is the day that IU receives those letters of intent from players they have recruited and pushed to get. Doug and Chris on the Hoosier Scoop do a good job of updating us as these letters come in. The media press conference is at 3:30pm Eastern, with an invitation only press conference for boosters at 5:00pm.

Check out the Hoosier Scoop's coverage @ !http://blogs.heraldtimesonline.com/iusp/?p=1478

I will be attending the 5 o'clock press conference along with my son and his friend. Check back later for a report and pictures from Memorial Stadium

UPDATE: IU has received LOI's from all 19 verbal commitments.

The official press release could be read here: http://blogs.heraldtimesonline.com/iusp/?p=1480

Check back later for more.