Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
1944 and 1945 Rose Bowl Games
1994 Inductee
Because of wartime travel restrictions, the 1944 Rose Bowl Game was the only one ever to pit two West Coast teams against one another. During USC’s 1944 contest versus the Washington Huskies, Jim Hardy passed for three touchdowns in the Trojans’ 29-0 win. While earning Player of the Game honors in 1945, Hardy threw for two touchdowns and rushed for a third in the Trojans’ impressive 25–0 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers. His five passing touchdowns in the two games set a Rose Bowl Game career record that was later tied by Washington’s Mark Brunell, who did it in three games (1991, ’92, ’93).
After Hardy’s college career ended, he played in the NFL for eight seasons with the Rams, Cardinals and Lions. Upon retiring from the NFL, he spent 13 years as the general manager of the Coliseum-Sports Arena complex, overseeing activities including the 1984 Olympic Games.
