Ole Miss DE Hardy undergoes surgery

Aug 11, 2008 - 9:44 PM OXFORD, Mississippi (Ticker) -- Mississippi junior defensive end Greg Hardy, a preseason All-American candidate, underwent surgery Monday to repair a stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal bone on his right foot.

The procedure was performed on an outpatient basis at the Oxford Surgery Center and Hardy is expected to miss six to eight weeks, according to Ole Miss head athletic trainer Tim Mullins.

It is a huge blow for the Rebels, as Hardy led the Southeastern Conference in sacks last season (10) and ranked second in tackles for losses with 18.5.

In a best-case scenario, Hardy could return in time for the Rebels' game at Florida on September 27. Ole Miss opens against Memphis on August 30, then plays non-conference contests against Wake Forest and Sanford before hosting Vanderbilt in its SEC opener on September 20.

"It's an unfortunate setback for Greg, but we're glad the surgery went well and he can begin his recovery," Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said. "We look forward to getting him back on the field later this season.

Hardy was named to the preseason watch lists for the Lombardi Award, the Nagurski Trophy and the Hendricks Award.