The late 1980s and early 1990s were about the fierce Illinois football defenses. There were so many talented players on the defensive side of the ball coming through the program. One of the legends was Kevin Hardy.
Hardy was a beast for the Orange and Blue and someone who barely missed a game. There are numerous stat categories you will find Hardy’s name under. He had 13 solo tackles in a game, which ranks No. 5 all time in single-game solo tackles.
Hardy is No. 8 all time in career tackles for loss with 38. He is No. 5 in career sacks for the Illini with 18. He is also No. 4 in career forced fumbles with seven.
These impressive numbers got him national notoriety too. In 1995, Hardy was named a consensus First-Team All-American. His talents were noticed by NFL teams too. With the No. 2 pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Hardy. His bash brother with the Illini in Simeon Rice went to the Arizona Cardinals with the next pick at No. 3 overall.
Hardy was a great player for the Illini and was widely known as a menace on the defensive side of the ball. Great players like him don’t come around that often. He was a legend with the program and checks in at No. 11 on this list.