Nebraska-Kearney certainly can’t be accused of having a “no-name” defense. Opponents don’t forget the play of the Lopers’ star defensive end. Or his name.
SirKeevin Hardiman.
“Everybody on the team just calls me Keevin or Keev,” said Hardiman, a 6-foot-1, 240- pound senior from Long Beach, Calif.
Offensive tackles should call him Sir.
Hardiman, perhaps the top prospect for Division II All-American honors among players in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, recorded eight sacks last season after moving to the Midlands from a California junior college. He is either too strong (400-pound bench press, 732 squat) or too quick (clocked in 4.66 for 40 yards) for most D-II blockers.
“At our level, Keevin is the complete package,” Nebraska-Kearney coach Darrell Morris said. “He gets off the rock extremely quickly. Not only is he quick and strong, Keevin is intense. And smart.”
Hardiman’s athleticism fits the profile of a Division I-A player, and that’s how he started. After getting a feeler from San Diego State, Hardiman accepted a scholarship offer from San Jose State. But while redshirting, he soured on the Western Athletic Conference program after a coaching change and enrolled in a junior college – College of the Desert in Palm Desert, Calif. – to keep his options open.
After two seasons of junior college, Hardiman decided to follow a former teammate to Nebraska-Kearney. Chris Lopez is a senior linebacker for the Lopers, the defending RMAC champions.
“Chris told me the program wins, and the people in Kearney are really nice, how they make you feel at home,” Hardiman said. “I wanted to see another part of the country. I wanted to see how other people live. I thought it might be a good place for me.”
Can a California kid find happiness in central Nebraska?
“Once I bought a couple of heavy coats,” Hardiman replied with a chuckle. “The things I really miss are the beach and seafood. Back home, I’d go to the beach a lot. So I had to find something else. There are a lot of little lakes around here and I took up fishing. I go after bass and catfish. It’s funny, I never even went deep-sea fishing in California.”
The seafood?
“Red Lobster,” Hardiman replied. “I go there a lot. It’s not bad. But I’m used to getting fresh fish that’s basically right off the dock.”
Hardiman hopes to get at least a tryout with an NFL team next year. If that doesn’t work out, he plans to begin a career as a conditioning coach. His name alone might help him go places.
Hardiman’s father is from Africa and decided to name his son Keevin – which means “warrior” or “leader” in a tribal language.
“Dad just added the ‘Sir’ so I’d get more respect,” Hardiman said.
As opposing RMAC offensive coordinators would attest, deservedly so.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
