Greg Hardy Denies Hitting Ex-Girlfriend In New ESPN Interview

The Dallas Cowboys seem unlikely to bring back talented, if troubled pass rusher Greg Hardy. Hardy, in just 12 games of work for Dallas in 2015, collected 6 sacks, 35 tackles and added an interception and a forced fumble apiece. Hardy wasn't just the best pass rushing threat on the Cowboys last season - he was just about the only pass rush on the Cowboys last season as the team once again finished near the bottom of the NFL in total sacks, racking up just 31 total quarterback takedowns.

And while the Cowboys have done little to offset the expected loss of Hardy, he remains on the sidelines in NFL free agency. What gives?

Well, part of the equation is certainly Hardy's personality, which is said to have created plenty of problems in the Cowboys locker room last season. He was/is self-centered, combative and willing to engage in scraps with just about every member of the franchise, even battling with the coaching staff over various issues.

But there's also the domestic violence issue that robbed Hardy of 15 games in 2014 as well as the first four games of 2015. Hardy allegedly shoved, punched and tossed his then-girlfriend, Nicole Holder, onto a futon covered in assault rifles. And despite the bounty of evidence, including pictures of Holder's injuries, and the conclusion from the NFL's investigators that Hardy's actions were deserving of a 10-game suspension, Hardy has continuously maintained his innocence.

In a soon-to-air interview with ESPN's Adam Schefter likely aimed at drumming up interest in his services, Hardy doubles (or is it triples, or quadruple?) down on that claim.

Hardy: "I've never put my hand on ANY women ... In my whole entire life, No Sir. That's just not how we're raised. As you can tell, like I said again, it's the Bible belt. It's just something that's, I wouldn't even say frowned upon, just something that's nonexistent in most southern homes."

Schefter: "You say you did nothing wrong, you're innocent and yet the pictures of her that surfaced would seem to suggest a woman who had some type of physical contact. How do you explain that?"

Hardy: "I will stop you there and say that I didn't say that I didn't do anything wrong. That situation occurred and that situation was handled but ... saying that I did nothing wrong is a stretch but saying I am innocent is correct. Yes sir."

Schefter: "Did you ever put your hands on her?"

Hardy: "No Sir ... No Sir."

It's not really surprising to hear Hardy tout his own innocence at the same time as he's languishing on the open market. Whether or not to works in the manner he hopes and pushes a team to offer him another incentive-laden one-year deal remains to be seen.

But it seems a fairly transparent attempt on Hardy and his representative's part. And at least one person isn't buying what Hardy's selling.

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Nfl, Dallas cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Greg Hardy, Espn