Daniel Hardy (tight end)

Daniel Hardy Jr. (born September 7, 1987) is an American former professional football tight end. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Idaho.

Early life
Hardy is a 2006 graduate of West High School in Anchorage, Alaska.

College career
In 2008, Hardy had 9 catches for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns in 7 games. In 2009 Hardy had a breakout season with 39 catches for 691 yards and 3 touchdowns in 12 games. During his senior year, Hardy had 32 catches for 545 and 1 touchdown in 8 games of the 2010 season. Up until a broken arm sidelined him for the final 5 games of the year, he was leading the nation in receiving yards for tight ends. Hardy finished his college career with 80 catches for 1,364 yards and 6 touchdowns over 27 games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hardy was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 7th round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He was cut on September 3, 2011. He was re-signed to the practice squad 2 days later but was released on September 6, 2011.

New Orleans Saints
Hardy was signed to the New Orleans Saints practice squad on November 22, 2011. He was with the team through the 2012 playoffs, for a total of 8 weeks.

Minnesota Vikings
Hardy signed a futures contract with the Minnesota Vikings on January 19, 2012. He was released on May 2, 2012.

Personal life
Hardy now lives in Pasadena, California, with his wife, Mariah Van Horne. They were married September 2, 2017 in Kennewick, Washington. Hardy serves as a family pastor at Fellowship Monrovia in Monrovia, California.