DAVIDSON, N.C. – College Football Performance Award officials let junior Greg Hardin know on Wednesday that he is their 2012 FCS Elite Wide Receiver of the Year. The announcement came via official letter to the Bellevue, Neb., native, who is the first North Dakota player to earn an individual national award at the FCS level.
Hardin, who also earned first team All-Big Sky honors and third-team Sports Network All-America honors for his play in 2012, was named the CFPA National Wide Receiver of the Week on Sept. 10 and the CFPA National Performer of the Week on Oct. 22. He was an honorable mention wide receiver honoree on Sept. 17 and collected National Kickoff Returner of the Week honors on Oct. 29.
Hardin put together one of the most impressive seasons ever by a UND wide receiver in 2012, finishing with 65 catches for 1,145 yards and 14 touchdowns. His yardage and touchdown totals are both the second-best efforts in a single season by a UND receiver and he added 505 kickoff return yards and a touchdown to finish the campaign with 15 total touchdowns.
Hardin earned the CFPA National Performer of the Week honor after breaking the Big Sky record with 333 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the 40-34 victory over Montana on Oct. 20.
He finished the season with five 100-yard receiving games and also had three-touchdown performances vs. Portland State (Sept. 8) and at San Diego State (Sept. 15).
Southern Cal’s Marquise Lee was named the FBS Elite Wide Receiver of the Year.
