It’s all About the End Game By: Alisa Boswell-Gore College can feel like a lot sometimes ... classes,
Although the couple’s 6-month-old son Ty came as a
homework, jobs, internships. Imagine all of that, along
surprise, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
with being a committed student-athlete – who has
“Well, at first, it was all, how are we going to tell
made all-conference line backer and all-conference academic team – and the father of a 6-month-old.
everyone? How is everyone going to react? What are we going to do?” said Hardin, but the couple’s excitement
Recent graduate Brad Hardin (BS 18), 23, doesn’t have
overcame any concerns.
to imagine it. He lived it every day.
“I think after Ty came, there was just all this pressure to
Hardin, who graduated with a health and physical
have everything lined up and be able to explain where
education degree, took 24 credit hours in the fall 2017
we’re going (in life) and how we’re going to get there. I
semester, while also working at Hamilton Nursery
think that was hard for us, because we just wanted to
& Landscape Co., playing football for ENMU, getting
have it all done. And we just didn’t,” said Tyra. “Looking
married and having a baby, and maintaining a high
back on last semester, we’re like, wow, that was crazy;
enough GPA to make the Lone Star Conference
but when we were going through it, it just seemed fun,
Commissioner’s Honor Roll each year.
especially with Ty. He just makes everything so fun, so
“A lot of coffee was my time management,” Hardin
it just hasn’t felt like it was hard.”
laughed. “I stayed up really late and got up really early
Not to mention, the couple also has an amazing
for football. I think for the first six months, I probably
support system, according to Tyra.
drank two pots of coffee a day to keep me going.”
“I think that we’ve been super blessed with opportunity
And then there is his wife Tyra (BS 16) who is currently
and help from our friends,” said Tyra. “Even at work, his
working on her master’s in education at ENMU.
bosses are awesome people, and they try to understand
“Honestly, it was a lot of Tyra. She helped out, and when
and support him. The same with teachers and coaches.
I was gone playing football, she played mom and dad. Tyra played a huge part in my success,” Hardin said of his wife. “She does so much for me. Every day, she wakes up before I have to go to work to get my lunch ready. Tyra’s just always there for me.”
We’ve just been placed around people who have a heart to help people and love people.” Brad plans to pursue his master’s degree 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 an end game where we both have a master’s degree and jobs 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.
Brad Hardin graduated this past May with a health and physical education degree. His wife Tyra also earned her bachelor’s in psychology from Eastern .
Green & Silver | August 2018
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