#61 Nick Hardwick | C

Nick Hardwick is on the mend. In March, Hardwick was forced to have surgery for a severely sprained right foot that had plagued him since last October. The surgery, which was performed the day he and his wife Jayme were due to leave for a trip to Maui and Australia, typically requires a four to six-month rehabilitation period. Hardwick is optimistic though that he’ll be healed and ready to go in time for the opening of training camp.

 

Hardwick is a key cog in the offensive line. In addition to his responsibilities as a run blocker, Hardwick plays a huge role in pass protection and calling out the blocking signals for the entire offensive line. He’s been a starter since his rookie season in 2004 and the Chargers have rushed for at least 2,000 yards each of those seasons, including a team-record 2,578 yards in 2006. With Hardwick leading the way, LaDainian Tomlinson was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in ’06 and has won the last two NFL rushing titles.

 

Hardwick’s route to the NFL was 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. Hardwick’s wife, Jayme, is also a former Boilermaker, having played soccer for Purdue’s women’s team.

 

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, 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. One of many Chargers with an interest in classic cars, Hardwick owns a 1975 Chrysler Cordoba.

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

2007: Earned All-NFL honors from USA Today Sports Weekly and named to USA Today’s All-Joe Team…second-alternate for AFC Pro Bowl squad…injured foot on seventh play of Oct. 14 game against Raiders and was replaced in lineup by Cory Withrow for remainder of game…inactive Weeks 7-10 with same foot injury…returned to starting lineup Nov. 25 vs. Baltimore.

2006: Selected to AFC Pro Bowl squad...started Weeks 1-16 and AFC Divisional Playoff game vs. New England...line did not allow any sacks and paved way for team to rush for 194 yards and two touchdowns in season opener at Oakland...quarterback Philip Rivers was only hit one time all night by Raiders defense, but on that play he completed 38-yard pass to Eric Parker that set up touchdown to give team 20-0 lead...line cleared way for 241-yard rushing day and three touchdowns, including two by LT, against Tennessee Sept. 17...for second-consecutive week, line did not allow any sacks...also for second week in row, Rivers was only hit one time in game by Tennessee’s defense and on that play, he still completed 12-yard pass to Michael Turner...line cleared way for 150-yard rushing game Week 3 against Baltimore, team which was ranked first in league against run and only surrendering 34.3 yards per game on ground coming into contest...only surrendered one sack to Ravens defense and it came on Hail Mary play on last snap of game...line helped Bolts rush for 119 yards against Pittsburgh in Sunday Night game Oct. 8...Steelers had come into contest ranked fourth in league vs. run and only allowing 78.3 yards per game...line didn’t allow any sacks in 39 pass attempts at San Francisco Oct. 15...marked third game of season group did not allow sack...line set tone for big day against St. Louis Oct. 29 as Bolts rushed for 216 yards against Rams, second 200-yard rushing game of season, and group only allowed one sack in 24 passing plays...line helped pave way for 190-yard rushing effort against Cleveland Nov. 5...helped clear way for LT to rush for 104 yards and four touchdowns in 49-41 win at Cincinnati Nov. 12...starting five named Chargers Alumni Players of Week after clearing way for 125 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while only allowing one sack in 26 pass attempts in 35-27 comeback win at Denver Nov. 19...line allowed only one sack for two yards in 33 pass plays and helped block for 110 yards and two TDs in 21-14 win over Oakland Nov. 26...helped Bolts rush for 197 yards and two LT touchdowns in 24-21 win at Buffalo Dec. 3...came up big on fourth-quarter game-clinching touchdown drive which consumed season-long 8:06, covering 13 plays and 80 yards as Bolts ran on nine of 13 plays...group allowed Bolts to rush for 147 yards and four touchdowns Dec. 10 against Denver, allowing only two sacks, one of which was coverage sack, in 25 total pass plays...line key reason Bolts rushed for 265 yards, fifth-most in team history, in 20-9 win over Kansas City Dec. 17...helped Bolts rush for 168 yards, including 62-yard run by Tomlinson, and only allowed one sack in 31 pass plays in rainy conditions at Seattle Dec. 24...closed out season with 169-yard rushing effort in Dec. 31 win over Arizona...anchored 148-yard effort in AFC Playoffs vs. New England.

2005: Started Weeks 1-6 and 10-16 at center…line paved way for 268 yards rushing, third-best in team history, and did not allow any sacks against New York Giants in ESPN Sunday Night Football game Sept. 25…line did not allow any sacks for second-consecutive week and helped Chargers rush for 183 yards at New England Oct. 2 to end Patriots’ NFL-record 21-game home winning streak…line allowed only one sack against Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football Oct. 10…started Oakland game Oct. 16 but left contest early with high ankle sprain…inactive Weeks 7-9 due to ankle injury…returned to starting lineup Week 10…line allowed only one sack in 33 pass attempts vs. Buffalo Week 10 and created running lanes for 202-yard rushing effort at Washington Week 11…in 26-17 win at Indianapolis Dec. 18, offensive line allowed only one sack and helped team rush for 206 yards.

2004: Named to ESPN.com’s All-Rookie Team…started Weeks 1-4 at center…left Tennessee game Oct. 3 with knee injury…inactive Weeks 5-6 while recovering from injury…returned to starting lineup Weeks 7-16 and for Wild Card Playoff game…left Oakland game Oct. 31 briefly in second quarter with concussion…named Chargers Alumni Player of Week along with fellow starting offensive linemen following Nov. 28 win at Kansas City…left playoff game versus Jets with ankle injury…returned to game for one play and left with knee injury and did not return.

COLLEGE: Second-team All-Big Ten and recipient of team’s Pit Bull Award for sustained tenacity and intense play as senior…Academic All-Big Ten as junior…walked on to team in 2001 as scout team defensive tackle and earned scholarship before junior season…played at Purdue from 2001-03…earned degree in economics.

PERSONAL: Born Sept. 2, 1981 in Franklin, Indiana…earned three wrestling letters at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis…member of state championship wrestling team…played football as freshman.