Marcus Hardison (born February 14, 1992) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
defensive tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Arizona State
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
and was drafted by the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
in the fourth round of the
2015 NFL draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
.
Early life
Hardison attended
Charlotte High School in
Punta Gorda, Florida
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. He played
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
early in his career before moving to
defensive line
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
.
College career
Hardison attended
Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College (DC3, DCCC) is a public community college in Dodge City, Kansas, United States.
History
Campus
Founded in 1935, Dodge City Community College was located on the third floor of the Senior High School Building at 1601 ...
in 2011 and 2012. During those two years, he had 96
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking up ...
and seven
sacks. In 2013, he transferred to
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
. In his first year at Arizona State he appeared in 13 of 14 games, recording five tackles and a sack. As a senior in 2014, Hardison played in all 13 games, recording 53 tackles, a team-leading 10 sacks and one
interception
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...
.
Professional career
Cincinnati Bengals
Hardison was drafted by the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
in the fourth round, 135th overall, in the
2015 NFL draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
. He made the Bengals final roster, but was inactive for every game in 2015 including the playoffs.
Hardison suffered a shoulder injury in the third preseason game and was out for the 2016 season.
On September 2, 2017, Hardison was released by the Bengals.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On September 20, 2017, Hardison was signed to
practice squad
In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...
of the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
. He was released on November 20, 2017.
New England Patriots
On December 2, 2017, Hardison was signed to the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
' practice squad. He was released on December 19, 2017.
Houston Texans
On December 21, 2017, Hardison was signed to the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
' practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Texans on January 1, 2018.
On August 27, 2018, Hardison was waived by the Texans.
Los Angeles Chargers
On August 28, 2018, Hardison was claimed off waivers by the
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
. He was waived on September 1, 2018.
Arizona Hotshots
In late 2018, Hardison signed with the
Arizona Hotshots
The Arizona Hotshots were a professional American football franchise based in Tempe, Arizona, and one of the eight members of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which played one season from February 2019 to April 2019. They played their ho ...
of the
Alliance of American Football
The Alliance of American Football (AAF) was a professional American football minor league. The AAF consisted of eight centrally owned and operated teams in the southern and western United States, seven of which were located in metropolitan are ...
. He was waived on March 25, 2019.
St. Louis BattleHawks
In October 2019, Hardison was selected by the
St. Louis BattleHawks
The St. Louis BattleHawks are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and is an owned-and-operated member of the new XFL owned by Dwayne Johnson’s Alpha A ...
of the
XFL
XFL may refer to:
Sports
* XFL (2001), a defunct American football league that played its only season in 2001
* XFL (2020), a professional American football league
Vehicles
* Bell XFL Airabonita, a 1940 U.S. Navy experimental interceptor aircra ...
in the
2020 XFL Draft
The 2020 XFL Draft was the inaugural player selection process to fill the rosters of the eight teams of the 2020 reboot of the XFL. The draft was held on October 15–16, 2019, via conference call, with results released through the XFL's social m ...
. He was waived during final roster cuts on January 22, 2020.
References
External links
Arizona State Sun Devils bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardison, Marcus
1992 births
Living people
People from Punta Gorda, Florida
Players of American football from Florida
American football defensive tackles
American football defensive ends
Dodge City Conquistadors football players
Arizona State Sun Devils football players
Cincinnati Bengals players
Jacksonville Jaguars players
New England Patriots players
Houston Texans players
Los Angeles Chargers players
Arizona Hotshots players
St. Louis Battlehawks players