Charlie Hardy (American football) explained

Charlie Hardy
Position:End
Birth Date:7 November 1933
Birth Place:Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lbs:183
College:San Jose State
Undraftedyear:1955
Pastteams:
Statvalue1:54
Statvalue2:840
Statvalue3:7
Pfr:H/HardCh00

Charlie Hardy (November 7, 1933 – May 9, 2001) was a gridiron football end who played in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at San Jose State.

Early life in high school

Hardy was born in Monroe, Louisiana, but grew up in Oakland, California, and attended Oakland Technical High School.[1]

College career

Hardy was a two year starter at end for the San Jose State Spartans. As a senior, he tied for the team lead with 13 receptions and was awarded the Mr. Downfield Award as the team's best downfield blocker.[2] [3] He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame upon graduating.[4]

Professional career

Hardy went unselected in the 1955 NFL draft and despite several tryouts was not signed by any team initially. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers in 1958 but was cut during training camp. He was signed by the newly-formed Oakland Raiders and was named a starter going into the team's inaugural season.[5] He finished the year as Oakland's second leading receiver with 24 receptions for 424 yards and three touchdowns.[6] Hardy was cut by the Raiders midway through the 1962 season.[7] Hardy caught 54 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns in 33 games in his professional career.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Knaak . Jerry . April 25, 2015 . 100 Days of 100 Jersey Numbers - 82 . May 30, 2020 . Raiders.com.
  2. Web site: November 30, 1954 . Hiram Wins Four Statistical Races . May 30, 2020 . The Spartan Daily.
  3. Web site: December 7, 1954 . Star Linemen Capture Titles . May 30, 2020 . The Spartan Daily.
  4. Web site: June 28, 2001 . SJSU Sports Hall of Fame - Complete Listing . May 30, 2020 . sjsuspartans.com.
  5. Book: Flores, Tom . Tales from the Oakland Raiders Sideline: A Collection of the Greatest Raiders Stories Ever Told . Simon and Schuster . 2017 . 9781683581567 . The Original Silver and Black . https://books.google.com/books?id=FTKCDwAAQBAJ&q=charlie+hardy+san+jose+state&pg=PT35.
  6. Web site: THE RAIDERS Part 1 . May 30, 2020 . Raiders.com.
  7. Web site: October 19, 1962 . Raiders Drop Hardy, an End . The New York Times.
  8. Web site: Charles Hardy . May 30, 2020 . Raiders.com.