Family and former teammates of killed Austin Peay football player speak about his life

written by TheFeedWired

May 11, 2025

LIMESTONE CO, Ala. (WAFF) -William Hardrick’s parents say, like many other football players, their son dreamed of playing in the NFL. “He was working hard to accomplish that and make us proud,” Dionne Bryant, his mother, said in an interview with our sister station, WSMV. Those dreams for the Austin Peay redshirt senior were tragically dashed when investigators say a driver, behind the wheel of a semi-truck, drove drunk down I-65 south, hitting 8 cars, killing Hardrick in the process.

“I’m still not believing it,” Ervin Stone said. “I’m at that point where it’s just a dream and I need to wake up.” Hardrick was on his way back home to Adamsville, Alabama, to get his Star ID. He was just an hour away from his parents.

“Now it’s just why? Why William? William was the kid who did everything right,” Stone said.

“Went through all those obstacles. Beat all those obstacles just to run into this.” Hardick was recruited out of Minor High School to play for Mississippi State. His parents say that when the team learned he had been playing with a broken shoulder for two years, they sent him home.

During his time as a Bulldog, he welcomed in juco transfer, now USC defensive back Decarlos Nicholson, with open arms. “He welcomed me in and stuff like that. He’s one of the funniest dude’s that I’ve ever met,” Nicholson said.

“He didn’t care what he had to do, he just wanted to play ball.” Nicholson says even though they aren’t teammates, they still bonded over their dreams of playing in the NFL. “Yesterday afternoon, we started texting a little bit, and it was just crazy because he didn’t even read it,” Nicholson said. It was a picture of Nicholson and Hardrick at Mississippi State that Hardrick never saw.

“We had just been talking like we’re the only two that’s left that’s not there, so we gotta make it,” Nicholson said. “I just hate that things didn’t work out like that for him.” His family says he finally felt like he had found his home at Austin Peay. “He was pretty happy and pretty excited about this season and his grades and getting ready to graduate college,” Stone said.