Competition ‘Fuels’ Hardy’s Linebacker Fire
By Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- We’ve seen this before, Rolijah Hardy being where the action is, where turnover opportunities are and chances to make highlight plays.
Some guys have a knack for being in the right place at the biggest times, even when young and raw, as this third-year Indiana linebacker once was, even as he assumes a leadership burden and backs it up with his play.
Last Saturday against Howard, the 5-foot-11, 227-pound Hardy returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown. A couple of years ago, as a true freshman against Western Illinois, he had his first pick-6. That season he also had an interception against Nebraska, which also was his first collegiate start.
In just over two seasons heading into Saturday's home game against Western Kentucky (0-2), Hardy has 136 career tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, nine passes defended, and two forced fumbles. He’s a catalyst as the No. 4 Hoosiers (2-0) seek to wrap up non-conference play in impressive style.
This is among the reasons why Hardy earned preseason Big Ten defensive player of the year recognition, why he ranks second on the team in tackles (12 to fellow linebacker Isaiah Jones’ 17) and has a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup.
The acclaim, he says, is no big deal.
“I don’t look at any of the preseason stuff as anything new or big. I just go out and work. It gives me confidence that the coaches believe in me and I believe in myself. I just go out and play.”
That approach, as it turns out, is the key to Hardy evolving from lightly regarded high school prospect to one of the Big Ten’s best defensive players.
“It’s about day in, day out hard work,” he says. “It’s keeping your head down and staying humble. The work you put in will put a chip on your shoulder to go out and compete. It’s fuel to the fire.”
Hardy’s fire was first fueled by an ultra-competitive athletic family. One sister, Trinity, scored more than 1,000 college points for Army. His other sister, Serenity, played high school basketball. His brother, Derajah, signed to play football for Navy in 2024.
It led to many competitive battles growing up, often involving a basketball.
“It was 2-on-2 and seeing who could get the best of who,” Hardy says. “We made each other better. It was fun, but very competitive. We were all very competitive. We learned that from out of the womb. Just competing. That’s what you love about sports.”
Love sometimes came with trash talking, and then it came to the Hardy family, no one matched their father, Roger.
“He definitely tried to get under our skin,” Hardy says with a laugh. “You look at it that he just wanted to push us. You go out in the world, a lot of people are talking noise -- fans, different teams, opponents. That was the biggest thing -- he was trying to see who it was going to affect.”
Beyond that, one aunt, Angela Hawkins-Freeman, was a 6-foot-3 forward who played basketball at IU from 2002 to 2006. Another aunt, LaTonya Hawkins, was a standout high school basketball player in Florida.
Hawkins-Freeman played 117 games as a Hoosier, finishing with career averages of 6.4 points and 6.9 rebounds.
Hardy says he never specifically talked to Hawkins-Freeman about coming to IU, but she had told him stories about her Hoosier playing days.
“It was fun for her. She was here for four years and talked about it a lot.
“When I committed here, I told her. It surprised her. She was very excited.”
For Hardy, sports created a huge family bond that remains strong.
“I feel like sports are something that brings everybody. It builds character. The main thing for us was day in and day out, we had to work. It kept my siblings and I close with our parents. Having parents that's done it allowed me to put my full trust in them. It was really good.”
As a two-way high school standout in Florida, which included all-state recognition in basketball, did Hardy ever consider focusing on basketball in college?
The short answer -- no.
“Around my sophomore year I was like, I’m not the tallest guy, I have to go back to football,” Hardy says. “I played football in little league and a little bit in middle school. I always loved football, so I decided to go with that to get college experience.”
Now that he has that experience, Hardy knows what’s made the difference.
“In sports, you’re always competing. That’s the main thing – competing. It translated and made us all work.”