FOOTBALL • 1992-95

Kevin Hardy was a consensus All-American and 1995 Butkus Award winner as a senior at Illinois. He was named First-Team All-Big Ten in both 1994 and 1995. Hardy was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars and played nine years with the Jags, Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals. In 1994, he teamed with fellow Illini Athletics Hall of Fame members Dana Howard and Simeon Rice, along with future long-time pro John Holecek to form one of college football’s greatest linebacker groups. Hardy finished his Illini career ranked ninth on the all-time UI list with 330 tackles, fourth in sacks with 18, and fourth in tackles for loss with 18. He currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida.