The body of former IU wide receiver and basketball player James Hardy III was found Wednesday in the Maumee River of northeast Indiana.
According to police, an employee of the Fort Wayne water filtration plant discovered the body. The cause of death has not yet been determined. Hardy was 31 years old.
In May 2014, Hardy was arrested for attacking three police officers. A judge ruled Hardy wasn’t mentally competent to stand trial and was remanded to a mental facility.
Hardy was a two-sport athlete at Elmhurst High School in Fort Wayne, where he was a standout performer on both the football and basketball team.
As a senior, he was selected to the Class 4A All-State team by the Indiana Football Coaches Association. Playing wide receiver, he hauled in 34 catches for 731 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Hardy also made a name for himself on the hardwood as he led his Elmhurst squad to the state championship game as a junior. His senior year he averaged 27.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
Hardy attended IU from 2004 until 2007. During his time at IU he played for the IU football team and was a member of the IU basketball team for two seasons.
As a freshman, he redshirted his first season with the football team to focus on basketball. In the 2004-05 season he played in 23 games, starting in three of them. In 10.7 minutes of action per game, he averaged 1.7 points and 1.8 rebounds.
After spending his first season with the scout team, Hardy fully committed to football the following year.
The 6’5 wide out attracted national attention during his time with the IU football team. He was a Freshman All-American in 2005 and made the All Big-Ten First-team in his last season at IU.
Hardy also holds several IU individual records that stand today. He became the Hoosiers’ all-time receiving leader in touchdowns (36), yards (2,740) and receptions (191).
After he left IU, Hardy was drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills, No. 41 overall. During his professional career he caught 10 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns before he was released after just two seasons.
After his stint with the Bills, Hardy played with the Baltimore Ravens and then in the Arena Football League until 2013. After football, he turned to Hollywood and began an acting and modeling career.
The case is still under investigation.
TC Malik and Austin Ghirardelli
