A hometown Pittsburgh product who starred at Penn State and set a school record with two punt-return touchdowns in a single game.
Daequan Hardy grew up in Penn Hills, just outside Pittsburgh, and starred at nearby Penn State before Buffalo drafted him in 2024. Now back home with the Steelers, the cornerback and returner has had to fight through injury and multiple roster cycles to stay on an NFL roster.
Path to the league
Hardy was named Pennsylvania's 5A Player of the Year coming out of Penn Hills High School before playing cornerback at Penn State from 2020-2023. The Buffalo Bills drafted him in the sixth round, 219th overall, of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Over four seasons at Penn State, Hardy totaled 60 tackles, 20 pass breakups, 7.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions and 3.5 sacks in 48 games. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors following the 2023 season and set a Penn State record with two punt-return touchdowns in a single game against UMass.
2025 season recap
After being drafted by Buffalo in 2024, Hardy cycled through the Bills' roster before signing a reserve/futures deal in January 2025. He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad in November 2025 and signed a reserve/futures contract with his hometown team on January 14, 2026, before being waived with an injury designation in May 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Daequan Hardy
- ESPN: Daequan Hardy
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- injuredReserveOrOut
- College
- Penn State
- Hometown
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- day-to-day
