Like any undrafted rookie, Justin Hardee faced an uphill battle to make the Houston Texans roster last summer. The Illinois product worked to stand out on special teams, knowing that was his best way to make the team, but when the Texans made their final cuts on Sept. 2, Hardee was among the players to receive bad news.
All's well that ends well, though, in Hardee's case. A few days after the Texans waived him, the New Orleans Saints added him to the practice squad. By Week 3, he was on the active roster, and by season's end, he led the Saints in special teams tackles with eight.