Players

  Nick Hardwick is back. That means lots of hellos and handshakes around the locker room, where his enthusiasm and smile are infectious. The same couldn’t be said a year ago when he was rehabilitating from surgery for a severely sprained right foot that kept him on the sidelines for the entire 2008 offseason and even the first three games of the regular season. Though it took him a while, Hardwick slowly regained his Pro Bowl form and ended up starting the last 13 regular season games and both of the Chargers’ postseason contests.

  Coincidentally, last year’s surgery was performed the day he and his wife Jayme were due to leave for a trip to Maui and Australia. The operation and the four to six-month rehabilitation period forced them to cancel their plans. Though they didn’t make it to Australia, a healthy Hardwick was able to take his wife along to the NFL’s Player Association Meetings in Maui and the couple also vacationed in Jamaica this year.

  Hardwick is a key cog in the offensive line. In addition to his responsibilities as a run blocker, he plays a huge role in pass protection and calling out the blocking signals for the entire offensive line. A starter since his rookie season of 2004, he helped the Chargers rush for more than 2,000 yards his first four seasons in the lineup, including a team-record 2,578-yard season in ’06. With Hardwick leading the way, LaDainian Tomlinson was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player during that same ’06 season and won NFL rushing titles following the ’06 and ’07 seasons.

  Hardwick’s route to the NFL is not a common one. A standout prep wrestler, he enrolled at Purdue intent on wrestling for the Boilermakers. That all changed however after former Chargers QB Drew Brees led the Boilermakers to the 2001 Rose Bowl and Hardwick saw the excitement that it generated on the West Lafayette, Indiana campus. The following fall, he decided to walk on to the school’s football team. A year after earning a spot as a defensive tackle on the scout team, Hardwick became the team’s starting center and earned all-conference honors. In 2004, the Chargers made him a third-round draft pick and he’s been a starter ever since. Wife, Jayme, is also a former Boilermaker, having played soccer for Purdue’s women’s team.

  Hardwick still maintains close ties to his alma mater. In 2007, he endowed a football scholarship at the school that will be given annually to a walk-on player who earns a scholarship just as he did. And last June, he returned to West Lafayette to receive the Drew Brees Mental Attitude Award, presented by the Joe Tiller/Northwest Indiana Chapter of the National Football Foundation. Hardwick became the fourth former Boilermaker to receive the award. The winner each year is chosen by Brees and recognizes an athlete who exemplifies exceptional mental attitude.

  Hardwick expanded on his own mental and educational capacities this past offseason, also making time to attend the NFL Business and Entrepreneurial Program at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. A special program for NFL players and front office employees, Hardwick spent a week learning a broad range of business topics from some of the most well-known educators from around the country.

   Nick enjoys a wide range of extreme sports including surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding. The 300-pounder often can be seen paddling out on his 10-foot Ace longboard at Tourmaline Street Beach, one of San Diego’s premier longboard surfing spots. The Point Loma resident also enjoys skateboarding and rides his long skateboard on the boardwalks of San Diego’s beaches.

  TRANSACTION HISTORY: Third-round pick (66), April 24, 2004…signed three-year contract July 29, 2004 and new six-year contract through 2011, June 16, 2006.

  2009: Injured ankle in week one contest vs. the Raiders and has been inactive weeks 2-15. In week 12, was selected as one of the 50 greatest Chargers in team history as a center. Returned to the starting lineup in week 16 against the Titans and helped the Chargers rush for 166 yards.

  2008: Pro Bowl third-alternate…INA Wks 1-3 while recovering from offseason foot surgery…returned to starting lineup Week 4 at Oakland…left KC game Wk 14 in 3Q after suffering concussion...returned to starting lineup following week when Philip Rivers threw career-high four TDs in 41-24 win at TB Dec. 21…anchored team-record 289-yard rushing performance in AFC West clinching win over Denver Dec. 28 …blocked for 167-yard rush night in Jan. 5 AFC Wild Card Playoff win over Indy as Bolts scored GW TD on 22-yard run in OT.

  2007: USA Today Sports Weekly All-NFL and USA Today All-Joe…Pro Bowl second-alternate…Oct. 7 at Denver, OL cleared way for 214 yards rushing…injured foot Oct. 14 game vs. Raiders and left contest…INA Wks 7-10…returned to starting lineup Nov. 25 vs. Baltimore…anchored 191-yard rushing day in 24-10 win at KC Dec. 2, including rush TDs of 31 and 28 yards in 3Q and 4Q to break 10-10 tie…blocked for 274 yard rush game vs. Detroit Dec. 16, then second-highest total in team history…line also DNA any sacks vs. Lions…OL DNA any sacks in Jan. 13 AFC Divisional Playoff win at Indy and group had perfect blocks as Billy Volek scored GW TD on one-yard QB sneak.

  2006: Pro Bowl selection… cleared way for 241-yard rushing day and three TDs without giving up any sacks vs. Tennessee Sept. 17…cleared way for 150 yards rushing Wk 3 vs. Baltimore, which was ranked No. 1 in NFL vs. run and only surrendering 34.3 rush ypg coming into contest…set tone for big day vs. St. Louis Oct. 29 as Bolts rushed for 216 yards...starting five named Chargers Alumni POW after Nov. 19 win at Denver…anchored 265-yard rush game, then fifth-most in team history, in 20-9 win over KC Dec. 17.

  2005: Paved way for 268 yards rushing, then third-best in team history, and DNA any sacks vs. NY Giants in ESPN SNF game Sept. 25…line DNA any sacks for second-consecutive week and helped Chargers rush for 183 yards in Oct. 2 win at NE that ended Patriots’ NFL-record 21-game home winning streak…left Oakland game Oct. 16 with high ankle sprain…INA Wks 7-9…returned to starting lineup Wk 10 vs. Buffalo... created running lanes for 202-yard rushing effort, including GW TD run in OT, at Washington Wk 11 …in 26-17 win at Indianapolis Dec. 18, OL helped team rush for 206 yards.

  2004: ESPN.com All-Rookie…left Tennessee game Oct. 3 with knee injury…INA Wks 5-6…Chargers Alumni POW along with fellow starting OL following Nov. 28 win at KC… left playoff game vs. NY Jets with ankle injury… returned for one play and but then suffered knee injury and DNR.

  COLLEGE: Second-team All-Big Ten...team Pit Bull Award for tenacity and intensity as senior…Academic All-Big Ten as junior…walked on in 2001 as scout team DT...earned scholarship before junior season… played at Purdue from 2001-03…economics degree.

  PERSONAL: Born in Franklin, Indiana…earned three wrestling letters at Lawrence North HS in Indianapolis… member of state championship wrestling team… played football as frosh.