Football | 2/21/2018 8:20:00 AM

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

College can feel like a lot sometimes -- classes, homework, jobs, internships.
 
Imagine all of that along with being a committed student athlete – who has made all-conference line backer and all-conference academic team – and the father for a 6-month-old baby.
 
Eastern New Mexico University senior Brad Hardin, 23, doesn't have to imagine it. He lives it every day.
 
Hardin, who graduates in May with a health and physical education degree, took 24 credit hours in the fall 2017 semester, while working at Hamilton nursery, playing football for ENMU and getting married and having a baby – all while maintaining a high enough GPA to be placed on the commissioner's honor roll each year.
 
"A lot of coffee was my time management," Hardin laughed. "I stayed up really late and got up really early for football. I think for the first six months, I probably drank two pots of coffee a day to keep me going."
 
And then there is his wife, Tyra, 22, who is currently working on her master's in education.
 
"Honestly, it was a lot of Tyra. Tyra helped out a lot, and when I was gone playing football, she played mom and dad. She played a huge part in my success," Hardin said of his wife. "She does so much for me. Every day, she'll wake up before I have to go to work and get my lunch ready for me. She's just always there for me."
 
Although the couple's 6-month-old son, Ty, came as a surprise, they wouldn't have it any other way.
 
"Well, at first, it was all, how are we going to tell everyone? How is everyone going to react? What are we going to do?" said Hardin, but the couple could not help their excitement overcoming any concerns.
 
"I think after Ty came, there was just all this pressure to have everything lined up and be able to explain where we're going (in life) and how we're going to get there. I think that was hard for us, because we just wanted to have it all done. And we just didn't," said Tyra Hardin. "Looking back on last semester, we're like, wow, that was crazy, but when we were going through it, it just seemed fun, especially with Ty; he just makes everything so fun, so it just hasn't felt like it was hard."
 
Not to mention, the couple has an amazing support system, said Tyra.
 
"I think so much of it doesn't really have anything to do with our ability," she said. "I think that we've been super blessed with opportunity and help from our friends. Even at work, his bosses are awesome people, and they try to understand and support and the same with teachers and coaches. We've just been placed around people who have a heart to help people and love people."
 
Brad will continue school after graduation to pursue his master's in sports administration while also playing one more year of football.
 
"After we had Ty, we talked a lot about it, and I was going to make it be my last year of football. I was going to graduate and be done and go find a job," he said. "I just love being around it. That's why I want to coach, because I just love the game so much, once I'm done playing, I still want to be a part of that. Just seeing the way kids' lives have changed and the way my life has changed by some of the coaches that I've had, I just want to have that kind of impact on people."
 
And what makes all of the hard work worth it?
 
Brad and Tyra's end game – Ty.
 
"I think just knowing that there's going to be an end game where we're both going to have a master's degree and have a job where we can give Ty whatever he needs. I think that's the real end game, and that's what makes it worth it," said Brad. "You've got to just keep going through, no matter how crazy life is. There's always going to be an end game; you've just gotta achieve your goals."