His thoughts on safety were very interesting.
In Hardy's day, without the protection around the head, defensive players were forced to hit with their shoulders. In today's game, many players lead with their head creating helmet-to-helmet contact that shocks the brain, leading to rampant concussions across the league.
"In my day, you might get a tooth knocked out or break your nose, but that all heals in a week or two," Hardy explained. "In today's game, they break their necks or they get concussions. In my mind, they need to take off that plastic thing on their head and put back on the leather headgear. Yeah, you're going to get a broken nose or one of your teeth knocked out, but you're not going to end up in a wheelchair."
uke:
