On the Plains with Jay Hardy: 'A full circle'

As defensive lineman Jay Hardy gets ready for one more season, it’s hard to believe he almost took a completely different path. 

A former two-sport standout from McCallie High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Hardy considered playing college basketball instead. 

“That’s what I was going to do,” Hardy said. “But my coach told me if I don’t gain weight, I couldn’t play college football.”

Taking his coach’s advice, Hardy put on 30 to 40 pounds and became one of the top 10 defensive linemen in his recruiting class as a high school senior.

Hardy’s work ethic didn’t just come out of nowhere.

“I grew up watching my older brother at Tennessee,” Hardy said. “Watching him work his whole life, from running around the neighborhood and running hills around the neighborhood. He would get me up at five in the morning to go run with him when I was 6 years old.”

Jay’s brother, Kevin, played fullback at Tennessee from 2007-10.  

Following his older brother’s example, Jay has maintained that same work ethic in college. 

After playing his freshman year at Auburn in 2021, Hardy decided his best decision was to play for Hugh Freeze at Liberty, where he spent three seasons (2022-2024) with the Flames.

“It was a completely different culture,” he said of his time in Lynchburg. “But I feel like it helped me out a lot and prepared me for what’s next.”

His biggest reasons for coming back to Auburn? Freeze and defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams. 

“You can tell they care about you,” Hardy said. “That’s the type of coach you would run through a wall for.” 

That’s not all that excites Hardy as he gears up for what should be an electric finale to a solid collegiate career.

“Playing in front of 88,000 fans is always something you want to do,” Hardy said. “But I didn’t get to experience that freshman year because of COVID, so I’m excited for that.

“The fans are the craziest part. They always make the defense go, so being in that environment should be real fun.”

Hardy is excited to be a part of a highly-anticipated group on the defensive line, especially after being out with a shoulder injury during spring practice.

“Getting back out there is the biggest part,” Hardy said. “Getting back out there and knocking a little rust off.” 

After racking up 54 tackles in his time with the Flames, Hardy looks to add to an already loaded front end of the Tigers’ defense. 

“From what we’ve seen so far, the D-line is ready to dominate the line of scrimmage,” he said.

After earning his degree in business from Liberty this past year, Hardy is looking forward to his future after football. Through the relationships he has with his coaches, Hardy wants to follow their lead, pouring into the next generation.

“I want to work my way up to being an athletic director,” Hardy said. “But I know I want to start off coaching. I want to coach at the highest levels.”

As his time on the gridiron nears an end, Hardy is going to miss the little things with his teammates. Not only the practices and big games, but everything that comes with it. 

“Riding around town, rolling around campus with the guys,” Hardy said. “Hanging out with everyone.”

Despite this being his final year of college football, Hardy knows there is still plenty of work to do and plenty to strive for here on the Plains.

“It's a lot different compared to my freshman year,” he said of the team chemistry. “There’s more of a bond, more of a brotherhood. Everyone is a lot more together and on the same page.”

Jay Hardy looks to finish this chapter in a unique way. From coming in as a freshman and now being back as a more complete man and football player, he’s ready to leave his mark on the program.

“It was a full circle,” Hardy said. “Leaving freshman year and coming back now – I came back more mature, happier, and more in love with the game than ever before.”