A native of Winston-Salem, Hardee was a standout wrestler at West Forsyth High School where he was a state qualifier at 98 pounds and a high school All-American in 1980 at 105.5 pounds.  Hardee’s career record in high school was an impressive 75-5.  After graduating from West Forsyth, Hardee received a phone call from Coach Mike Edwards at Winston-Salem State University asking why he hadn’t registered for college.  That same day Hardee enrolled at WSSU where he went on to earn a college degree and excel on the mats.   Hardee was a four-year starter at 118 pounds, a four-year letter-winner in wrestling, and a part of four Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship teams.  As an athlete, Hardee won the 1984 CIAA championship and finished as the runner-up in 1985.  He was a Division II national qualifier and missed earning all-American honors by just one match in 1984.  After graduating from WSSU with a degree in Physical Education, Hardee would embark on a still-active 32-year career in education and coaching. An assistant and head coach for five seasons at WSSU, Hardee coached the school’s only Division II national champion, Donnell Rawls, in 1991.  That same year, along with other CIAA wrestling teams, WSSU dropped its wrestling program. Hardee then accepted the head wrestling position at Carver High School in Winston-Salem where he coached for the next 18 seasons.  While at Carver, coach Hardee produced numerous state qualifiers and all-state wrestlers.  In 2008, he and his family relocated to Georgia.  Currently, he is the assistant coach at Central Gwinnett High School in Norcross, Georgia and has also coached in Georgia at Meadowcreek (six years), Shiloh (two years) and Peachtree Ridge (one year). His coaching philosophy is for wrestlers to “be skilled on your feet, be in shape, and trust the process.”  In addition to today’s induction, Hardee is also a member of both the Winston-Salem High School Hall of Fame and the Clarence E. “Big House” Gaines Hall of Fame at Winston-Salem State University.