Former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy has been arrested in Texas for allegedly assaulting a family member, according to recent reports. The 36-year-old, who spent five seasons with the Carolina Panthers, was taken into custody by the Richardson Police Department on Wednesday. The arrest follows a charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member, and Hardy is currently in police custody.
Hardy’s legal troubles date back to 2014 when he was involved in a domestic violence case, which initially resulted in a conviction but was later dismissed after the victim failed to appear for a second trial. Despite his NFL career, including 34 sacks and 203 tackles with the Panthers, Hardy faced suspensions for violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. Following his football career, Hardy transitioned to MMA in 2018.
Hardy was drafted out of Ole Miss in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent five seasons with the Panthers, but he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list in 2014 while a domestic violence case against him played out. FOX 4 reported that in 2014, Hardy’s ex-girlfriend alleged that the NFL player assaulted her during a fit of rage. He was initially convicted of assault, but those charges were later dismissed after the victim in the case failed to appear for a second trial.
Despite recording 34 sacks and 203 tackles with the Panthers, the decision not to re-sign Hardy was made. He was then signed by the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent in 2015, but he only played in 12 games that season after being issued a four-game suspension for violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy as it related to his case in North Carolina. He was not re-signed the following year.
Following his football career, Hardy made his debut in MMA in 2018.
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