NFL star (and beau of Antonia “Toya” Carter) James Hardy writes:

I am shocked and disappointed by people’s efforts to destroy my character. I am a God-fearing man, and I would never place my hands on the mother of my child or my son. In fact, my son has been an inspiration to me and to my accomplishments and I hold deep respect for my former girlfriend for raising my son. As in many relationships, my ex-girlfriend and I had an argument that was blown out of proportion. My ex-girlfriend called the police and I was arrested. As a student athlete, I did not have the money to defend myself in a criminal trial; therefore, I agreed to take part in a six-month diversion program.

As a result, the charges were dismissed and at the hearing on June 13, 2007, my ex-girlfriend recanted her statements and testified that she phoned 911 in an effort to “get at” me for the problems we were having in the relationship at the time. During the time of the incident, our relationship was being affected due to my hectic athletic schedule.This incident took place three years ago when I was a college student at Indiana University.

Currently, I am a professional athlete who realizes that children look up to me and that I have a duty to conduct myself appropriately. As partners in parenting, my ex-girlfriend and I maintain an amicable relationship. I have moved on and am happy with my life. Despite the negative media coverage, I am striving to achieve my maximum potential in life and focus on my career.

The following is a link to an article about the incident that occurred three years ago involving my ex-girlfriend http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/4931.html [scroll to bottom of page].

Sincerely,
James Hardy

Source: DaJuan Watkins