NEW REDBLACKS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION
Former NFL player Hardy adds veteran presence to team's three-day rookie camp
For most players, opening day of Ottawa Redblacks rookie camp Wednesday at TD Place was a first opportunity to impress coaches enough to keep them around for the 2022 Canadian Football League season.
It may have been a bit different for 30-year-old Justin Hardy, who's anything but a professional football rookie and is far removed from being fresh out of a college football program. Hardy is one of those been-there-donethat guys.
In 2015, he was a fourth-round draft pick of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. And it wasn't a fleeting moment for Hardy, who stuck around with the Falcons until 2019, putting 95 catches for 946 yards and nine touchdowns on the stats sheet. After not playing in football in 2020, he got another NFL look with the Chicago Bears in 2021.
In March, the five-foot-10, 192-pound receiver signed with the Redblacks. Now, in his first trip to Canada, he's looking to make good on another professional football opportunity.
“(Playing in the NFL), it's something you think about as a child,” said Hardy. “Getting to the highest level of the sport and playing in the Super Bowl was really good, it did a lot for me growing as a person.”
So why the trip to Canada?
Why sign with the Redblacks?
“My thing is to go out there and have fun,” said Hardy. “It was never tough (to make the decision to come to Canada). The CFL was something that was always on the table. The opportunity was perfect, so here I am.”
Sometimes former NFL guys have an air about them when they get to a CFL camp. They believe the Canadian league is a step or two down and it'll be a breeze to get playing time and make an impact. It often doesn't work that way. Hardy is taking no chances. He's got his eyes open and is willing to settle into whatever role the team asks him to play.
“Maybe some guys look at this as a lesser thing, but it's not. It's all football at the end of the day,” he said. “The guys out here are great athletes, so I have to go out and compete at the highest level.”
After starting as a walk-on at East Carolina University, Hardy went on to play in 49 games. He finished his NCAA career with 387 receptions for 4,541 yards, averaging 11.7 yards per catch, with 35 touchdowns. There are a lot of receivers with CFL experience on the Redblacks training camp roster. Hardy hopes to fit right in there.
“There's a learning curve for me. I have to learn everything I can to make sure I'm at my best,” he said.
With 60 players in rookie camp, there's a lot for Redblacks head coach/offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice to watch and absorb. In many cases, it's the team's first live look at a player. Asked about what he saw on Day 1, LaPolice said: “Usually the first day of rookie camp, there are not a lot of great things, but I thought some of the one-on-ones were OK. I thought some of the quarterbacks threw the ball with some velocity.”
What are the coaches looking for during the brief rookie camp?
Said LaPolice: “The first thing you talk about, can they learn in three days? They can't make mistakes on Day 3 they made on Day 1. The next thing you have to show some prowess, whether it be speed as a receiver or the ability as a linebacker to play in the box, they just have to show some prowess. A lot of it is a mental thing and seeing how they move in space.”
There's a wide variety of experience levels at camp. While there are kids fresh out of Canadian or U.S. college football, there are also some players who have bounced around from professional camps and are getting an opportunity in Ottawa.
“You get guys who come here from (U Sports) that move better in rookie camp than other guys,” said LaPolice. “So somebody coming from the U.S. who's been in the NFL, they still have to learn a whole different game.”
End around: There were three quarterbacks on the field yesterday — Concordia Stingers' Olivier Roy (CFL Canadian Quarterback Internship Program), David Moore (Central Michigan) and Tyrie Adams (Western Carolina). Once main camp begins, they'll be joined by veterans Jeremiah Masoli and Caleb Evans ... Former all-star receiver Brad Sinopoli was on the field Wednesday. Don't get too excited, he's not coming out of retirement. He was just helping the strength and conditioning team ... Early Wednesday, the Redblacks announced they had signed American offensive lineman Justice Powers (six-footthree, 295 pounds, Alabama at Birmingham) and American linebackers Xavier Woodson Luster (six-foot-one, 220, Arkansas State) and Troy Young (six-foot, 205, Arizona) ... Late Tuesday, the Redblacks announced they had signed American defensive lineman Ja'Von Rolland-Jones (six-foot-two, 253, Arkansas State; he was with the Cincinnati Bengals in training camp in 2018, then was on the L.A. Rams practice squad) and American defensive back Teny Adewusi (six-foot, 206, Delaware) ... Rookie camp continues Thursday and Friday from 10:55 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.