It’s been difficult to keep up with Greg Hardy.
Long ago, NFL teams stopped trying.
The guilty verdict for domestic violence and issuing threats. The absence of his accuser, leading to the case’s dismissal. The personal pleas of innocence — “I’ve never put my hand on any woman” — amid graphic evidence to the contrary. An arrest for cocaine possession. His apparent blacklisting from the CFL. An announced new career in mixed-martial arts. A commitment to the non-NFL affiliated Spring League. Somewhere along the way, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called him a “real leader.”
Hardy is now up for a new opportunity.
The former Cowboys and Panthers defensive end could be headed to Utah to play for the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles of the Indoor Football League. A fan vote will help determine if he will. The results so far, as of the publishing of this article, are 64 percent in favor of Hardy’s signing.
Before any vote is cast, the team’s prompts users to read a statement from the club’s ownership group.
Some of Hardy’s background is addressed in that.
“He has expressed a strong desire to join the Screaming Eagles as a way for him to showcase his football skills and prove worthy of another chance,” the statement reads in part. “As a football player, Hardy is a physically gifted pass-rusher who could make an immediate impact on our defensive line. As an off-the-field member of the community, there are past allegations and arrests that he carries.
“We have spent the past week speaking with Greg directly and with many of his former teammates and coaches. After hours of deliberation and debate, Screaming Eagles ownership, management, and coaches are in unanimous agreement that we will support Greg joining the team under one condition — that our fans vote to allow him.”
It is unclear what a shot with the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles stint would mean for Hardy’s MMA career.
Indications are Hardy is more interested in a return to the NFL.
“He is not doing this for the money; he just wants to play football and show the type of person he is both on and off the field,” the statement reads. “If all goes well, he hopes to have a chance to play again on Sundays.”
Fan voting ends Wednesday at 10 p.m. PT.
The club allows fans to vote, its site says, on “key team decisions.”
