ECU's Hardy Selected for Rotary Gridiron Classic
January 02, 2003 | Football
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- East Carolina University senior free safety Kelly Hardy has been selected to participate in the 2003 Rotary Gridiron Classic College All-Star Game, to be played January 25 in Orlando, Fla.
The game, which pits college football seniors from the state of Florida against seniors from the rest of the nation, will kickoff at 2 p.m. EST and be aired nationally by ESPN2 as well as the Sports USA Radio Network.
Hardy, a native of Kinston, N.C., was ECU's leading tackler in 2002 with 110 total tackles. He was one of the team's top playmakers on defense as he scored two touchdowns on fumble returns, had two interceptions, and was credited with a team-high 12 pass breakups.
He recorded double-figure tackles in six games this past season, including a career-high 16 at Southern Miss. He is a two-time recipient of Conference USA's Defensive Player-of-the-Week award.
As a participant in the fifth-annual Rotary Gridiron Classic, Hardy will play on Team USA, which will be co-coached by Ralph Friedgen of the University of Maryland and Jack Bicknell of NFL Europe's Barcelona Dragons.
Hardy is the first Pirate to participate in the Rotary Gridiron Classic and the only member of the 2002 team thus far to be invited to a postseason all-star game.
