:Hank Hardwick

{{Infobox college football player

| name = Hank Hardwick

| image = Hank Hardwick (circa 1926 a).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Hardwick, circa 1926

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| highschool = Blacksburg High School

| alma_mater =

| position =

center (1919–20) and defensive end (1921–26)

| weight_lb = 180

| pastschools =

Virginia Tech (1919-22)
Navy (1924–26)

| module= {{Infobox college coach

| embed= yes

| coach_years1 = 1928–1929

| coach_team1 = Navy (ends)

| coach_years2 = 1931

| coach_team2 = Navy (plebe ends)

| coach_years3 = 1933

| coach_team3 = Navy (plebe assistant)

| coach_years4 = 1934

| coach_team4 = Navy (plebes)

| coach_years5 = 1937–1938

| coach_team5 = Navy

| overall_record = 8–7–3

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Harry Judson "Hank" Hardwick was an American college football player and coach. He was the 22nd head football coach at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, serving for two seasons, from 1937 to 1938, and compiling a record of 8–7–3. Before this, he played college football for eight seasons. He first played for the VPI (Virginia Tech) Gobblers, as center for his first two seasons and defensive end for other two seasons. He was team captain during his final season at VPI. He then played four seasons as a defensive end for the Navy Midshipmen.

Early life

Hardwick grew up in Virginia Hardwick's family was well known in the sport of American football. He was the younger brother of James "Jim" Hardwick, who was captain of the VPI Gobblers football team and a member of the 1921 Vanderbilt Commodores football team. Hardwick and his older brother both played football at Blacksburg High School, which Hardwick graduate from. A 1923 story published in The Roanoke Times opined that the two brothers were "probably the greatest football stars ever turned out by the local high school."

Collegiate football playing career

Hardwick played collegiate American football for eight seasons, playing as a center for his first two college seasons, and as a defensive end thereafter.

=VPI Gobblers (1919–1922)=

File:Hank Hardwick circa 1921 (1).jpg

While attending Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech), Hardwick played four seasons on the VPI Gobblers football collegiate team (today known as the "Virginia Tech Hokies"). He had been referred to the team by Curly Byrd (coach of the Maryland State football).{{cite web |title="Gobbler Line" and Backfield Among Best on Dixie Gridiron |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/911954787 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |publisher=The Roanoke Times |access-date=16 April 2025 |language=en |date=November 20, 1921}}

In Hardwick first two seasons on the team (1919 and 1920), he played center. During his first season, his older brother was team captain.{{Cite web|work=Virginia Tech Bugle|url=https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/11390/1920_BUGLE.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|title=The Bugle 1920|date=1920|page=293|access-date=March 2, 2022}} The Roanoke Times described him as having been light in weight during his early collegiate career, describing him as being, "the lightest center in South Atlantic history."

For the entirety the 1921 season (his third), Hardwick was moved from center and instead played left defensive end.{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Gridiron Squad Numbers Fifty |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/827445136 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription

|publisher=Richmond Times–Dispatch |access-date=16 April 2025 |language=en |date=September 25, 1921}} Hardwick was regarded to have been a star player in the 1921 season.{{cite web |title=Preliminary Skirmishes Set for September 23rd; Powerful Teams Certain |agency=The Associated Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/26927490 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |publisher=The Constitution (Atlanta) |access-date=16 April 2025 |language=en |date=September 10, 1922}} A 1921 article published in The Roanoke Times described, "Hardwick is a fast and aggressive end, and lives up to all the traditions that gave made the name 'Hardwick' famous in the football annals." During the team's 1922 season (his senior year), he was the team's captain,{{cite web |title="Hank" Hardwick Former Tech Star At Naval Academy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/912127492 |date= October 25, 1923 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |publisher=The Roanoke Times |access-date=16 April 2025 |language=en }}{{cite web |last=Vaughan |first=Irving |title=Army, Navy Flank Custodians Fast, Aggressive, and Smart |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/355211380 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |publisher=Chicago Daily News |agency=The Associated Press |access-date=16 April 2025 |language=en |date=November 26, 1926}} having been voted the team's 1922 captain on November 20, 1921 soon after the close of the previous season.{{cite web |title=Hardwick Elected To Lead 'Gobblers' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/912100871 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |publisher=The World-News (Roanoke) |access-date=16 April 2025 |language=en |date=December 1, 1921}}

=Navy Midshipmen (1923–26)=

In 1923, Hardwick enrolled in the United States Naval Academy and joined the Navy Midshipmen football team. Hardwick played for the team during its 1923, 1924, 1925 and 1926 seasons.

In his plebe (freshman) year at Navy, Hardwick played left end.

During the team's highly successful 1926 season, Hardwick played right end, while Rusell Lloyd played left end. That season, sports writer Irving Vaughan wrote, "Hardwick is considered the most experienced performer on the Navy [team]...He's a rugged fellow of 180 pounds, powerful on defense and especially foxy at rushing kickers and passing." He credited Hardwick's rushing (aided by teammate William C. Eddy's efforts) as the primary factor during Navy's victory over the Michigan Wolverines in Navy's success at thwarting attempted passes by Benny Friedman (Michigan's quarterback).

Coaching career at Navy

Hardwick joined Navy's coaching staff. From 1928 and 1929, he was the coach for ends. In 1931 he coached the plebe (freshman) class ends. 1933 he was assistant coach for plebe (freshman) players, and in 1934 he was the coach for plebes players.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Hardwick served as coach of Navy Midshipmen football for two seasons (1937 and 1938. As head coach, he compiled a record of 8–7–3.[http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/independents/navy/coaching_records.php Navy Midshipmen football coaching records] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214091548/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/independents/navy/coaching_records.php |date=December 14, 2013 }}{{cite news |author= |title=Hank Hardwick Named Football Coach Of Navy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33972344/the_los_angeles_times/ |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |location=Los Angeles, California |agency=Associated Press |date=January 14, 1937 |page=27 |access-date=July 17, 2019 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}