James Francis Hardy (April 24, 1923 – August 16, 2019) was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

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. He was born in Los Angeles.

Early life

Hardy attended and played

high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...

at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles.

College career

Hardy played

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at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. He was voted most valuable player of the 1945 Rose Bowl game, won by

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

25–0 over

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

Professional career

Hardy was selected in the first round (eighth overall) of the 1945 NFL draft by the

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. He played in the

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between 1946 and 1952. He made the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

in 1950. Hardy is perhaps most famous for throwing an NFL-record eight interceptions in a single game, as well as for the worst touchdown pass-interception differential in a single game (−8), in a 45–7 loss to the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

on September 24, 1950. He later served as the general manager of the

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park, Los Angeles, Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hal ...

. In September 2016, Hardy was interviewed and reflected upon his career in the NFL. Prior to his death, Hardy was the oldest living member of the inaugural 1946

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy, Jim 1923 births 2019 deaths American football quarterbacks Chicago Cardinals players Detroit Lions players Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players Fairfax High School (Los Angeles) alumni Los Angeles Rams players USC Trojans football players Players of American football from Los Angeles