Injury serves as springboard for Farragut's Cooper Hardin
Dan Fleser
The storybook ending of Cooper Hardin's high school football career is preserved on a DVD that he and his former Farragut High teammates still watch with wide-eyed wonder.
A 45-35 Class 5A victory over defending champion Independence still qualifies as must-see entertainment. Farragut erased a 28-point deficit and scored 38 consecutive points last December to win the school's first state football championship. It was an amazing conclusion to Hardin's senior season.
"It's crazy to think that was just a few months ago," said Hardin before the News Sentinel Sports Awards.
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Hardin's role in Farragut's magical season came from crazy circumstances, namely a major knee injury suffered during his junior year. He bounced back to play a key role for the Admirals and earn the Leadership Award Wednesday night during the ceremony at the Tennessee Theatre.
"I kind of re-prioritized what I wanted," Hardin said. "After (the injury) I wasn't sure if I would be ready for the season. So, I was like 'Well what if I couldn't play football.' I started taking school more seriously outside of football."
Hardin did play football. In fact, he played both linebacker and running back for Farragut, which was named the most outstanding team. As a defender, he had 124.5 tackles (18 for lost yardage) and 10.5 sacks. On offense, he rushed for 1,454 yards and 19 touchdowns. He was named the BlueCross Bowl offensive most valuable player after rushing for 164 yards and three touchdowns.
"His senior year he put it all together," Farragut coach Eddie Courtney said. "We'd known he had that kind of potential. He matured a lot."
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Hardin's transformation outside of football factored into him signing a national letter of intent last February to play for the Naval Academy.
"They showed me after football, the opportunities I have to be successful," he said.
Despite Wednesday's award, Hardin downplayed his leadership role in Farragut's season. He described the responsibility as more of a senior class project.
"The senior group, there weren't many of us, but we knew each other for years," Hardin said. "It was easy for us to come together. Nobody yelled at each other. Nobody pointed fingers."
They were something to see.