A two-star recruit out of Sanderson High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, Hardy received half a dozen offers from schools like Old Dominion, UConn, East Carolina, Coastal Carolina and Charlotte. He wound up sticking in North Carolina, but he ended up out in the mountains playing at Appalachian State.
Hardy redshirted as a true freshman in 2018, and would go on to appear in six games as a redshirt freshman the following season. He found his home at left tackle in 2020, earning a First-Team All-Sun Belt selection while playing the position as a senior.
Stats
Games played: 44
Starts: 29
Pressures (2019-2022): 43
Sacks (2019-2022): 8
Combine & pro day results
Height: 6-5
Weight: 301
40-yard dash: 4.97s
Vertical: 31.5 inches
Broad: 110 inches
Bench: 30
3-Cone: 7.72s
Short Shuttle: 4.66s
Highlights & film
Running behind Anderson Hardy and a pulling Bucky Williams, Nate Noel makes one man miss and is 2-for-2 on scoring from 50-plus yards in Statesboro.
Noel had a 70-yard run here as a freshman in 2020.
Watch on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/avm8I3yv9G
— App State Football (@AppState_FB) November 26, 2022
𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗗𝗮𝘆
Have a day, Anderson Hardy!#GoApp #AppStateNFL #ProDay pic.twitter.com/0Fll2AqnH8
— App State Football (@AppState_FB) March 30, 2023
Never!!!🤣🤣 @A_hardy54 Is Lethal! #BULLS🐂 #AppNation https://t.co/5nveOekupy pic.twitter.com/zzY69M16zw
— 𝑪𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝑵𝒊𝒄 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 (@CoachCardwell_) January 16, 2022
Fit with the Chiefs
Hardy is making a full-on position switch with the Chiefs. He played tackle in high school and college, but he’ll be making the switch to center in Kansas City. It’s not terribly surprising given the athleticism that he showcased at the Appalachian State pro day.
One thing to like about Hardy in his transition is that he’s an easy mover in space and does a good job against linebackers, safeties and corners. He’s no slouch in the trenches either, boasting some serious power and a good anchor. With a little technical refinement and work with Andy Heck, he could become a solid depth piece for the team.
Kansas City has the need for some developmental interior offensive line depth heading into the 2023 NFL season. Nick Allegretti is a three-position backup plan on the offensive interior, but outside of that, the team’s only real option at the center position is former starter, Austin Reiter. Developing Anderson to take over the backup center role as early as 2024 would be a wise and cost-effective decision. He’s likely looking at a year on the practice squad in 2023 unless the team undergoes some attrition in training camp or the preseason.
2023 UDFA Spotlight Series
| Position | Player | School | Estimated release date |
| S | Isaiah Norman | Marshall | 5/31 |
| RB | Deneric Prince | Tulsa | 6/2 |
| CB | Ekow Boye-Doe | Kansas State | 6/5 |
| OT | Jason ‘Chu’ Godrick | International | 6/7 |
| LB | Isaiah Moore | NC State | 6/12 |
| OG | Jerome Carvin | Tennessee | 6/19 |
| CB | Reese Taylor | Purdue | 6/21 |
| WR | Nikko Remigio | Fresno State | 6/23 |
| S | Anthony Cook | Texas | 6/26 |
| CB | Kahlef Hailassie | Western Kentucky | 6/28 |
| C | Anderson Hardy | Appalachian State | 6/30 |
| EDGE | Truman Jones | Harvard | 7/4 |
| LB | Cam Jones | Indiana | 7/6 |
