Sept. 4, 2003

Charleston, SC - When the Hardin boys are going at it, Citadel football players have learned to stand back and stay out of the way.

"The other players don't get involved," said Blair Hardin, describing his notorious arguments with his twin brother, Justin. "They say it's scary sometimes."

For once, Justin agrees.

"They know how we are when we get into it," Justin said. "They just sit back and don't mess with us, because they know how brothers are some- times."

This week, the ultra-competitive Hardin boys are basking in brotherly love. In Saturday's 64-10 victory over Charleston Southern, Justin (a 5-11, 180-pound senior quarterback) and Blair (a 6-1, 180-pound senior receiver) both played in the same game as college teammates for the first time.

Justin, who is the backup to starting QB Willie Simmons, had not played in a game since high school. Blair, who is in the receiver rotation and a special-teams regular, had not played since his freshman year at The Citadel in 2001.

It was a big moment for both of them, and a long time coming.

"There were times I wondered if I would ever get a chance to get out there," Justin said Wednesday. "I just tried not to get discouraged or upset, and to just keep working to get better."

The Hardins have had reason for discouragement during their days at The Citadel. They reported to campus in the fall of 2000 along with their father, Bruce Hardin, a veteran North Carolina high school coach who had been hired as offensive coordinator by former Citadel coach Don Powers.

The Bulldogs were coming off a 2-9 season in 1999, and the Hardins knew that the long-term job prospects for the coaching staff were not good.

"He knew the situation," Blair said of his dad. "But he thought it was a great opportunity. He's been a high school coach for 37 years, and he wanted a chance to coach in college, because it was all football. In high school, he was assistant principal, athletic director and head coach."

But The Citadel was 2-9 again in 2000, and after Powers was let go, Ellis Johnson brought in a new staff. Bruce Hardin had to leave his sons and return to high school coaching in Charlotte. Johnson had known Bruce Hardin for 25 years, having recruited his area of North Carolina as an assistant coach at Appalachian State, East Carolina and Clemson.

"I knew it was a tough situation for them," Johnson said. "It was a tough situation for me, too. But I think the fact that Justin and Blair are still here shows they chose The Citadel for the right reasons, and not just because their father was going to be here."

Said Blair, "It was hard. We were close as a family, and especially as freshmen, it meant a lot to us to have our family here. But we knew it was time to let go, and to do it on our own."

The Hardins, father and sons, helped A.L. Brown High School to a state title in 1997. At The Citadel, Blair played in every game as a freshman, but redshirted as a sophomore and did not play last season. Justin redshirted as a freshman and did not play the last two years, imitating the opposition's QB on the scout team for three seasons. Over the spring and summer, Justin worked his way into the battle for the starting QB job. After Simmons' arrival from Clemson via Florida A&M, Justin earned the backup's job.

"I think Justin probably out-worked some of the guys over the summer and in the preseason," Johnson said. "He's the best fundamentally, the best in footwork, in all the little things you have to do."

Late in Saturday's game, Justin ran on the field for the first time. He completed his first pass, a 31-yarder to true freshman Rontreal Tyler that set up a TD. Blair was credited with two tackles on special teams.

In the stands -- watching his sons play for the first time from a seat and not the sidelines -- was Bruce Hardin, along with his wife, Brenda.

"I hadn't played in two years, so I was like a little kid, running around like a freshman," Blair said. "It just felt great to be out there."