Rarely is an athlete’s path to success easily navigated. In some cases, the best route is the one not heavily taken. During the course of this path, you must discipline your brain to avoid the comparison game and stand firm in your abilities. Running Back Jacob Hardie walked onto the University of Georgia’s football team knowing that the path that got him there, looked different than some of his teammates.
Looking back to Hardie’s high school days, he began to take football seriously during his sophomore season. Hardie attended Our Lady of Good Counsel, which produced a handful of professional ball players. By his senior year, Hardie had gained 40 pounds. His coach then urged him to leave his position as a wide receiver and transition to a running back. Hardie said that he was, “a little worried not yet having a lot of recruiting going on, and switching positions.”
However, a practice tape sent by Hardie’s Uncle was able to catch the eye of a recruiter at the University of Georgia. From there, Hardie was invited to a workout that resulted in the offering of a walk-on position. Hardie was able to grab the attention of other schools and the process came down to a tough decision. Ultimately, he felt that Georgia had the most confidence in him as an athlete.
“I always felt like Georgia was the one who gave me that first opportunity and took a chance, so I felt loyal to them,” said Hardie.
Through his recruitment process in high school, Hardie battled through any self-doubt and blocked the noise surrounding his decisions.
“Even when Georgia had invited me to the workouts, some people were telling me to not even go, that it would be a waste of time,” explained Hardie. “But, you can’t be scared to take shots.”
Hardie prides himself in being a man of faith. When God presented him an opportunity, he knew he needed to possess the courage to take it. As Hardie transitioned to playing college football, he continued to fight new obstacles.
“Everybody looks for instant gratification. They’ll have a good practice and think now I’m going to get a scholarship. In reality, you have to build up your resume,” explained Hardie. “As many good days there are, there will probably be double the amount of bad days. You just got to stay strong mentally.”
Despite Hardie being new in his walk-on journey, his advice to athletes in similar situations is to continually give patience. He also points out that these tools learned on the football field can be applied in many different areas of life. Hardie has begun studying real estate and hopes to use his mindset to that industry in the future.
“With sports you’re already trained for that type of mentality and process. The type of time you have to put in, while not always receiving instant rewards,” said Hardie. “That mindset really helps and I know that companies like to hire athletes for that reason. They are prepared for the mental trials and tribulations that go along with it.”
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