Montario Hardesty knows a few things.
He knows this finally could be his breakout year.
He knows his role on the Tennessee football team is bigger than it's ever been.
And he knows what everyone is asking: Can the running back finally exterminate the injury bug?
"I know it's going to be talked about,"
Hardesty said. "I know I have to have a healthy year. That's why I don't even try to think about it. I'm just trying to go out there and do what I have to do."
The junior is the hardest runner on the team, but it's led to some hard times. He has been plagued by injuries since stepping on the UT campus. First it was an ACL injury during his freshman season. This past year, he missed three games — including the SEC Championship — with an ankle injury. And more injury issues caused him to miss most of spring practice.
Each season it seems to be something else. And each season, Hardesty stays optimistic.
"To tell you the truth, I've felt good coming into every (fall) camp,"
he said. "Something just comes up. I feel good and want to keep taking care of my body and just keep at it hard."
New coach, new hope
Injuries were not the only source of frustration for Hardesty last year. A controversial weekend midway through the year led many to ask if he would return to the program. During UT's blowout loss at Alabama, Hardesty, who was fully healthy, did not record a carry despite being the Volunteers' second-leading rusher entering the game. UT Coach Phillip Fulmer admitted afterward that Hardesty "wasn't very happy"
on the sidelines.
Hardesty did not attend practice the next day, and a rift was clearly brewing between him and former UT running backs Coach Kurt Roper, who is now at Duke. One day later, UT sent out a release stating there was a miscommunication and that Hardesty missed practice because he was sick in bed, which seemed to many to be quite a coincidence.
Now, with new running backs Coach Stan Drayton on board, Hardesty appears to have an extra bounce in his step.
"Coach (Drayton) tells me what I need to do,"
Hardesty said. "We talk and he gives us feedback. I think he's been pushing us a little bit harder. I'm going to go out and work hard every day, regardless of the coach."
There is one coach in particular who has a lot of respect for what Hardesty has gone through, and how he's handled it.
"He's never hung his head for long,"
Fulmer said. "He's been disappointed and down a couple of times. You have to give credit to him and the doctors who have worked with him. He looks great."
More motivation
Part of the reason for Fulmer's enthusiasm is Hardesty's offseason work. He added five pounds of muscle while keeping his body fat at 6 percent. Hardesty (6-0/210) hopes the new muscle will help him remain healthy, and, in turn, help the running back unit emerge as one of the nation's best.
With senior starter Arian Foster leading the way, and with Hardesty, sophomore Lennon Creer and freshman Tauren Poole providing plenty of punch, the group has high hopes.
"We have something on our bulletin board,"
Hardesty said. "One of the magazines had our running backs at No. 7 in the nation. We want to be the top unit. We have the talent to do it, we just need to go out there and perform. If we do that we can be the best running back unit in the country."
