Andre Hardy

Andre Hardy is a former NFL running back who transitioned into a career as a crime novelist. Hardy was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the NFL Draft and played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers. He began playing football in his junior year of high school and, after two years, earned a football scholarship at St. Mary's, a Division II school. His professional football experience provided insight into the pressures, sacrifices, and ethical complexities that inform his crime fiction writing.

After retiring from football, Hardy pursued writing, beginning with several screenplays and spending years developing his craft. He received financial support from The NFL Players Trust and The NFL Player Care Foundation to earn an MFA in creative writing at Antioch University, where he focused on hard-boiled detective stories. The program allowed Hardy to immerse himself in the study of pulp fiction and the literary techniques of writers such as Dashiell Hammett. He is a member of the NFL Retired Players Association and the NFL Legends Community, and he earned his MFA through the NFL Players Trust tuition reimbursement program.

Hardy writes across multiple genres, including creative nonfiction, essays, short stories, screenwriting, and long-form narrative. His work has appeared in L.A. Tribe Magazine, Lunch Ticket, Antioch University’s literary and visual arts journal, and The Los Angeles Review of Books. His short story, "Negro in a Hot Tub," is featured in "Made in L.A.: An Anthology of Stories Rooted in the City of Angels." Hardy is a recipient of the Barbara Peters/Poisoned Pen Scholarship and is recognized for his perspective on hard-boiled fiction.

His debut novel, "Tear the City Down," is a crime novel that incorporates elements of jazz, football, and a portrait of a divided city. The book has received praise from figures in crime fiction, including Paula Hawkins, who described Hardy as a distinctive voice in American noir. Hardy is based in Los Angeles and is a member of International Thriller Writers. He continues to write crime fiction and is developing a book titled "Turf Wars," which offers an insider perspective on the NFL.