Romo on Hardy: I Think Everybody Deserves a Second Chance

When the Dallas Cowboys signed defensive end Greg Hardy two weeks ago, the move was met with predictable wave of criticism. But Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is fine with the move, saying on ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike on Wednesday that he believes everyone deserves a second chance--including guys like Hardy and, for that matter, former Ravens running back Ray Rice.

“If every time someone did something wrong everybody turned the other way and didn’t like anybody on this planet, really in general, I would think that none of us would like each other,” Romo said, via the Dallas Morning News. “I just think with some people, stuff ends up getting found out about and they have to deal with it and take responsibility for it, especially when you’re in the public eye. I just think that everybody deserves a second chance. I think that’s just part of what we should be doing as people and as teams.

“Is he going to help us as a pass rusher? There’s no question. I think that we all know that because he’s a talented player he’s going to be afforded more opportunities in the National Football League. At the same time, even if he wasn’t, I still think Ray Rice and Greg Hardy deserve another chance, just because I feel like everybody has their skeletons in their closet. If everything was shown over everyone’s head, no one would be given a second chance. That’s part of the way I think we think.”

Last July, Hardy was found guilty of assaulting a female and communicating threats in a bench trial. After that he requested a jury trial, and when that second trial was set to begin back in February, the prosecution couldn’t locate the accuser and the charges were dropped. It’s generally believed that the accuser’s absence was the result of she and Hardy coming to some financial agreement out of court.