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By PFC Chargers team writer Robert Murdock

To an Offensive lineman, even at the NFL level, accolades aren’t something given free-handedly. Positive recognition, even when much deserved, is hard to come by. With so much attention focused on Philip Rivers having played through serious injury in the AFC Championship game last post-season, along with certain factions of the media ridiculously questioning Running Back LaDainian Tomlinson’s heart and motives for having sat out of the same game, it seems that something has been somewhat over-looked.

Chargers Center Nick Hardwick was recently generous enough of his time to participate in an interview on the Pro Football Central Radio Show. During the interview, Hardwick disclosed to PFC Radio’s host Jim Giles, that his foot injury, which had originally been misdiagnosed as a sprain, or badly bruised bone, turned out to be a Lisfranc injury. This is a serious type of injury that has brought about the premature end of at least a handful of professional football players’ careers. Thankfully for the Chargers and their fans, Nick and his doctors are optimistic, believing that this will not be the case for him, and that he will be able to return and continue to play at his usual Pro Bowl level. One factor that works in his favor is that Hardwick’s position requires him to play with his feet flat on the ground, and doesn’t demand sharp cuts or on-a-dime stops such as are required of other positions like Running Back or Wide Receiver. This type of injury can be, and usually is very painful, especially when applying any degree of weight to the foot. In spite of all of this, Hardwick suited up, and played through the pain, logging in another very good performance in the AFC Championship Game.

Hardwick is no stranger to hard work. After shifting his focus from wrestling, Nick joined the football team as a walk on. At Purdue, he received second-team All Big-Ten honors, as well as the Pit Bull Award for sustained tenacity and intense play.

Drafted by the Chargers in the third round (66th overall) in 2004, Hardwick earned the starting job despite being considered by some to be slightly under-sized for an NFL Center , and was named to ESPN’s All-Rookie team. In 2006, just two seasons after having been drafted, he was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad, and had helped pave the way for LaDainian Tomlinson’s multi-record breaking MVP season. With Hardwick calling out all of the blocking signals for the entire Offensive line, the Chargers have rushed for at least 2000 yards in each season since his first in 2004.

Hardwick has proven to be a talented and fierce competitor, who is well respected by his teammates and fans for the type of person he is both on and off the field.