Full Article: Hardin didn't take easy path to Stillman
"Hardin played football at Central High School, but he didn’t take an easy path to Stillman. He spent 31⁄2 months in a hospital and underwent two major surgeries to recover from a gunshot wound inflicted by a relative. Then he left home for college, first at Alabama A&M and then at Mississippi State. Through it all, Conner kept tabs on how Hardin’s life was progressing.
“I grew up a lot before I got here, but this topped me off,” Hardin said. “When I take those pads off, the first person I’m running to is Coach Conner. That man gave me an opportunity. He showed me how to be a man."
