The Kansas City Chiefs nabbed Georgia football rookie Mecole Hardman its Rookie of the Year.
Mecole Hardman became Georgia’s second rookie in a row to win the Super Bowl on Sunday when his Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Miami.
Hardman, a former 2nd round NFL Draft pick, may not have played the biggest role in Sunday night’s victory, but the electrifying rookie turned heads all season with his explosive big plays and energetic personality both on and off the field.
He made such a big impact in his first year that Kansas City named the Georgia product its team Rookie of the Year.
During the 2019 season, Hardman tallied 538 yards and 6 touchdowns on 26 receptions. He also earned a spot in the NFL Pro Bowl.
The former 5-star recruit out of Elberton, Georgia (Elbert County) was one of the most electrifying players that UGA has produced in a long time. During his time at Georgia, Hardman caught 60 catches for 961 yards and 11 touchdowns.
When he entered the NFL last year, the narrative was that the Chiefs selected the speedster to potentially replace superstar wideout Tyreek Hill, who was facing potential legal issues away from the field.
Hill would end up playing the 2019 season anyway – so instead of replacing him, Hardman’s job became to compliment him.
And it certainly worked out. Adding Hardman, one of the league’s fastest players, across from Hill, took an already explosive air-game and elevated it to another level.
Defenders were already worried about covering Hill anywhere on the field; they feared the same with Travis Kelce. Now, KC had another guy who could beat you deep in Hardman.
Hill and Hardman quickly formed what looked to be a close friendship and the two hit the ground running, literally.
But sometimes Hardman did not run enough. During the preseason, quarterback Patrick Mahomes only had one complaint about Hardman’s game – that the rookie from Georgia would stop running when he thought he was out of Mahomes’ range.
The eventual Super Bowl MVP would implore that Hardman keep running his route even further than he may think necessary, because Mahomes had no doubt that he could reach Hardman 60+ yards down the field.
So Hardman kept running. And through his rookie season he showed that he could do so faster than just about anybody.
Hardman is so fast that he even picked up the nickname “jet,” which he fully embraced prior to the Super Bowl, showing up to the stadium in a full Navy pilot uniform.
To see Hardman’s lifelong dream of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy become a reality on Sunday night was a good feeling for those who have followed his career since he was a prep star like many Georgia fans have.
Coming out of high school, Hardman was one of the country’s top recruits. A 5-star receiver with one of the best highlight reels you’ll ever see, DawgNation was beyond thrilled when Hardman picked up a Georgia hat and committed to the G. Our only regret was that we did not get more years with #4.
But watching Hardman, one of the most likable, personable and overall cheerful guys to come out of Athens, achieve his NFL goals at such a young age can’t help but make you smile.
We are so happy for Hardman, his family and the Elberton community.
Congrats, #4.
Here’s a look in at Hardman’s Twitter and Instagram pages since the final whistle in Sunday’s Chiefs win over the 49ers.
