Greg Hardy facts for kids
Hardy with the Cowboys in 2015
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| No. 76 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | July 28, 1988 Millington, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 280 lb (127 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Briarcrest (Eads, Tennessee) | ||||||||
| College: | Ole Miss | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2010 / Round: 6 / Pick: 175 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Gregory McKarl Hardy (born July 28, 1988) is an American athlete. He has been a professional mixed martial artist, a boxer, and a former football player. He played as a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL).
Hardy played football for six seasons in the NFL. He spent most of his time with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels. The Panthers picked him in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft.
His best football season was in 2013. He set a Panthers team record for sacks. This earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. After this successful season, a serious off-field issue led to controversy. This affected his football career. He was not re-signed by the Panthers after playing only one game in 2014. Hardy then played his final NFL season with the Dallas Cowboys.
After his football career, Hardy started a new path in mixed martial arts. He joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 2019 to 2022. There, he competed in the heavyweight division.
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Early Life and Sports
Greg Hardy went to Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tennessee. He was a talented athlete in high school. He played three sports: football, basketball, and track.
In football, he helped his team win the state championship in 2004. As a senior, he made 65 tackles, including 12 for loss and six sacks. He also caught 48 passes for 268 yards. Hardy played with future NFL offensive tackle Michael Oher in both high school and college.
In basketball, he was recognized as an honorable mention all-state player in his junior year. For track and field, he was a sprinter and a shot putter. He threw the shot put 14.47 meters (about 47 feet, 5 inches).
Experts considered Hardy a promising football player. Rivals.com ranked him among the top defensive end prospects. He was also named an all-state player in Tennessee.
College Football Career
Hardy received a football scholarship from the University of Mississippi. He played for the Ole Miss Rebels.
As a freshman, he played in 12 games and started 9 of them. He had 49 tackles, 3 sacks, and forced 4 fumbles. He even caught a 23-yard touchdown pass as a wide receiver.
In his sophomore year, he played in 10 games. He led the conference with 10 sacks and had 64 tackles. He also scored two touchdowns on offense.
During his junior year, he had foot surgery and missed the first three games. He played in 9 games, recording 18 tackles and 8.5 sacks. Many thought he would enter the 2009 NFL draft, but he decided to stay for his senior year.
Before his senior season, he had another foot surgery. He was also in a car accident that made his foot injury worse. As a senior, he played in 9 games, including the Cotton Bowl Classic. He had 16 tackles and 5 sacks. Hardy finished his college career with 39.5 tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks.
Hardy also played basketball for Ole Miss in the 2006–07 season. He played in 15 games and averaged nearly one point and two rebounds per game.
Professional Football Career
Pre-draft
Before the 2010 NFL draft, Sports Illustrated called Hardy a top prospect. However, injuries and a less impressive performance at the NFL Combine caused his draft ranking to drop.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers drafted Hardy in the sixth round (175th overall) of the 2010 NFL draft. He signed his contract on June 17, 2010. In his first NFL game, he blocked a punt for a safety. He also forced a fumble and made 4 tackles.
In his rookie year, Hardy played in 15 games but did not start any. He finished with 30 tackles, 3 sacks, and two forced fumbles. In 2012, he recorded 11 sacks despite breaking his thumb.
In 2013, Hardy had an amazing season. He set a Panthers team record with four sacks in one game against the Atlanta Falcons. He ended the season with a team-record 15 sacks. This earned him a trip to the 2014 Pro Bowl and recognition as a second-team All Pro. The Panthers defense was very strong that year, leading the NFL with 60 sacks.
In 2014, the Panthers used the franchise tag on Hardy, meaning he would return for the season. However, after playing only one game, he was placed on the commissioner's exempt list due to an off-field issue. He remained off the field for the rest of the season. In March 2015, the Panthers decided not to re-sign him.
Dallas Cowboys
On March 18, 2015, Hardy signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys hoped he would be a key player for their defense.
Hardy was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2015 season due to violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. This was later reduced to a 4-game suspension.
His first game after the suspension was against the New England Patriots. He had two sacks and five hits on quarterback Tom Brady. In another game, he intercepted a pass from Russell Wilson. After a strong start, his performance slowed down. He finished the season with 6 sacks. The Cowboys chose not to re-sign Hardy after the season.
Other Football Leagues
Hardy played in The Spring League in 2017. In January 2018, he signed with the Richmond Roughriders in the American Arena League, which is an indoor football league.
NFL Career Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | ||
| 2010 | CAR | 15 | 0 | 30 | 24 | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2011 | CAR | 16 | 15 | 50 | 38 | 12 | 4.0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | CAR | 15 | 10 | 61 | 41 | 20 | 11.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2013 | CAR | 16 | 13 | 59 | 39 | 20 | 15.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2014 | CAR | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | DAL | 12 | 12 | 35 | 23 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 75 | 52 | 239 | 168 | 71 | 40.0 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 2 | |
Mixed Martial Arts Career
| Greg Hardy | |
|---|---|
Greg Hardy at UFC Fight Night 143 post fight interview
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| Other names | Prince Of War |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | 266 lb (121 kg) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 80 in (203 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Coconut Creek, Florida, United States |
| Team | American Top Team (2016–2020) |
| Trainer | Din Thomas Rashad Evans |
| Years active | 2017–present (MMA) |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 4 |
| Wins | 3 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 13 |
| Wins | 7 |
| By knockout | 6 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Losses | 5 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By decision | 1 |
| By disqualification | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Amateur record | |
| Total | 3 |
| Wins | 3 |
| By knockout | 3 |
In October 2016, Greg Hardy announced he would begin a mixed martial arts (MMA) career. He had been training for several months.
Amateur MMA Fights
Hardy made his first amateur MMA appearance on November 4, 2017. He won by knockout in just 32 seconds. He continued to win his next two amateur fights by knockout as well.
Professional MMA Fights
In April 2018, Hardy made his professional MMA debut. He fought Austen Lane, another former NFL defensive end. Hardy won by knockout in the first round. This win earned him a contract with the UFC.
He won his next two professional fights by TKO (technical knockout) in the first minute. After these wins, Hardy stated he was fully committed to his MMA career.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
With an undefeated professional record of 3–0, Hardy made his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut on January 19, 2019. He lost this fight by disqualification. He accidentally hit his opponent, Allen Crowder, with an illegal knee while Crowder was on the ground.
For his second UFC fight, Hardy won by TKO in the first round. He also won his third UFC fight by TKO in the first round.
In October 2019, Hardy fought Ben Sosoli. He originally won by decision. However, the decision was changed to a "no contest" because Hardy used an inhaler between rounds without permission.
Hardy then faced a tough opponent, Alexander Volkov. Hardy lost this fight by unanimous decision.
He continued to fight in the UFC, winning against Yorgan De Castro and Maurice Greene. He then lost his next three fights against Marcin Tybura, Tai Tuivasa, and Serghei Spivac. After his contract ended, the UFC did not re-sign him.
Professional Boxing Career
Early Boxing Fights
On October 8, 2022, Greg Hardy made his professional boxing debut. He won his first fight against Mike Cook by knockout in the second round.
On November 19, 2022, Hardy fought Hasim Rahman Jr.. Hardy won this fight by unanimous decision. He also won his third professional boxing match against Gregory Corbin in September 2023.
Recent Boxing Fights
On December 13, 2024, Hardy faced Alexei Papin in Russia. He lost this fight by knockout in the third round.
Bare-Knuckle Boxing Career
After leaving the UFC, Hardy signed a contract with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) in June 2022. He made his bare-knuckle debut on February 17, 2023. He lost this fight by knockout in the second round.
Exhibition Boxing Career
Hardy has also competed in exhibition boxing rounds with Team Combat League. He was knocked out by Alexander Flores in June 2023 and by Patrick Mailata in May 2024.
Championships and Awards
Mixed Martial Arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC.com Awards
- 2019: Ranked #9 Newcomer of the Year
- UFC.com Awards
Images for kids
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Hardy with the Cowboys in 2015
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Greg Hardy at UFC Fight Night 143 post fight interview
See also
In Spanish: Greg Hardy para niños
