Body Found In River Identified As Former NFL Receiver James Hardy

James Hardy was a second-round pick out of Indiana who spent two seasons with the Bills before leaving the NFL in 2011. Hardy was reported missing a week ago, and yesterday afternoon, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department announced that they had found a dead body lodged against a dam in the Maumee River. The Allen County coroner’s office confirmed shortly after that it was Hardy, although a cause of death has not yet been determined. He was 31 years old.

The Bills expressed condolences for Hardy this morning. He appeared in 16 games for the team, catching 10 passes and two touchdowns.

Hardy grew up in Fort Wayne and was a star for the Hoosiers. He was a highly rated basketball player out of high school and played basketball for Indiana for one year before focusing on football.

In 2014, Hardy was arrested and charged with felony resisting arrest after allegedly injuring two LAPD officers. TMZ reported later that year that a judge had ruled Hardy unfit to stand trial and committed him to a state mental institution.