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Montario Hardesty

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Montario Hardesty
refer to caption
Hardesty with the Cleveland Browns in 2011
No. 31, 20
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1987-02-01) February 1, 1987 (age 37)
New Bern, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:New Bern
College:Tennessee (2005–2009)
NFL draft:2010 / round: 2 / pick: 59
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts:153
Rushing yards:537
Rushing touchdowns:1
Receptions:16
Receiving yards:138
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Montario Hardesty (born February 1, 1987) is an American college football coach and former professional running back. Hardesty played college football at the University of Tennessee, where he amassed fewer than 400 yards in each of his first four seasons before breaking out with 1,345 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in 2009. In 2015, Hardesty became the running backs coach and special teams coordinator for Norfolk State University. He was the wide receivers coach for the Charlotte 49ers football program from 2019 to 2020, and the running backs coach at the University of South Carolina from 2021 to 2023.

Early life

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Hardesty played football at New Bern High School.[1] As a senior in 2004, he rushed for 2,002 yards on 272 carries. He had 19 rushing touchdowns. He was considered a four-star recruit and ranked 100th on the Rivals.com's list of the top 100 players in the class of 2005.[2] He was recruited as an "athlete", with the potential to play both running back and safety. Hardesty was considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com. He chose to play for the University of Tennessee.[3]

College career

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Hardesty was a three-year letter winner at Tennessee. He amassed 2,391 rushing yards on 560 attempts, 405 receiving yards on 38 receptions, and 26 total touchdowns.[4]

Hardesty was granted a medical hardship for the 2005 season because of a knee injury he suffered against Ole Miss.[5] He rushed 6 times for 18 yards before his injury.[6] In 2006, Hardesty started the season with a 43-yard touchdown run against the University of California.[7] His best game of the season was a 72-yard performance against the Air Force Academy.[8] He played in 13 games. He finished the season with 384 rushing yards and four touchdowns.[9]

Hardesty's 2007 season wasn't quite as good as his 2006 season. He had a touchdown in the opening game of the season against the University of California once again.[10] He finished the year with 373 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.[11] 2008 was the worst statistical season of Hardesty's career at Tennessee. He ran for 271 yards, finishing the season with 6 touchdowns. He passed the 1,000 career rushing yard mark against Vanderbilt University in the season's next-to-last game.[12]

In 2009, Hardesty was 20th in the NCAA's Division I-FBS division in rushing yards, with 1345 yards in 13 games.[13] He started the season off with 160 rushing yards and 1 touchdown against Western Kentucky University.[14] He has passed the 100 rushing yard mark four more times in the 2009 season, against Ohio University, the University of South Carolina, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Kentucky. He was the Southeastern Conference's fourth leading rusher in the 2009 season with 1,345 yards.[15] Hardesty was first in the SEC in carries with 282.[16]

Statistics

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Season Rushing Receiving
Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
2005 6 18 3.0 11 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
2006 107 384 3.6 43 4 6 54 9.0 23 0
2007 89 373 4.2 26 3 3 25 8.3 21 0
2008 76 271 3.6 27 6 4 24 6.0 12 0
2009 282 1,345 4.8 43 13 25 302 12.1 47 1
Career 560 2,391 4.3 43 26 38 405 10.7 47 1

Track and field

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Hardesty was also a standout athlete at New Bern High School. He was a state 100 meters finalist in 2003. He decided not to run track and field at the University of Tennessee. His personal bests are 10.36 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.65 seconds in the 200 meters.[citation needed]

Personal bests
Event Time (seconds) Venue Date
100 meters 10.36 Greensboro, North Carolina July 26, 2004
200 meters 21.65 Greensboro, North Carolina July 26, 2004

Professional career

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Hardesty was picked in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.[17]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 0 in
(1.83 m) 		225 lb
(102 kg) 		31 in
(0.79 m) 		9+1⁄2 4.49 s 4.14 s 6.87 s 41 in
(1.04 m)		 10 ft 4 in
(3.15 m)		 21 reps
All values from NFL Combine[18]

Hardesty was expected to compete for the starting running back position for the Browns, but was limited in pre-season due to injury. On September 2, in his first pre-season game against the Chicago Bears, he suffered a torn left ACL, sidelining him for the entire 2010 season.[19]

In the 2011 season, Hardesty played in ten games and finished with 88 carries for 266 rushing yards and 14 receptions for 122 yards.[20] In the 2012 season, Hardesty had 65 carries for 271 yards and one touchdown. His one touchdown occurred in Week 6 against the Bengals.[21]

On August 27, 2013, Hardesty was placed on injured reserve, effectively ending his 2013 NFL season.[22] He was released on September 30.[23]

References

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  1. ^ Honeycutt, Jordan (February 10, 2018). "Hardesty feels at home back at Tennessee". New Bern Sun Journal. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "2005 Rivals100 Prospect Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  3. ^ "Montario Hardesty 2005 Athlete Tennessee". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  4. ^ "Montario Hardesty College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  5. ^ Adams, John (August 9, 2017). "Montario Hardesty, former Vols running back, proves some four-stars shine late". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  6. ^ "Montario Hardesty 2005 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "California at Tennessee Box Score, September 2, 2006". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  8. ^ "Air Force at Tennessee Box Score, September 9, 2006". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  9. ^ "Montario Hardesty 2006 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  10. ^ "Tennessee at California Box Score, September 1, 2007". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "Montario Hardesty 2007 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  12. ^ "Montario Hardesty 2008 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  13. ^ "FBS (Division I-A) Player Rushing Statistics – 2009". espn.com. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  14. ^ "Western Kentucky at Tennessee Box Score, September 5, 2009". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  15. ^ "Montario Hardesty 2009 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  16. ^ "2009 Southeastern Conference Leaders". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  17. ^ "2010 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  18. ^ "NFL Combine Profiles – Montario Hardesty". NFL.com. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  19. ^ "Torn ACL to shelve Browns RB Hardesty for '10". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 3, 2010. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  20. ^ "Montario Hardesty 2011 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  21. ^ "Montario Hardesty 2012 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  22. ^ Alper, Josh (August 27, 2013). "Browns claim two off waivers, place Hardesty on injured reserve in a flurry of roster moves". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  23. ^ "Browns waive RB Montario Hardesty, former 2nd-round pick plagued by injuries as pro". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. September 30, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
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