Feature on Scott Harding--UH may want him to play this season instead of starting in January

SMH = Sidney Morning Herald


SMH Note: "Former Lion and Port Power player Scott Harding has become the latest Australian to play American Football – but only the second who will not play as a kicker.


About changing from Australian Rules Football to going to play for the Warriors, Scott Harding said:
"When I finished up with Port last year I did a bit of training with Pro-Kick with Nathan (Chapman) and Johnny Smith and they pitched me to a few colleges and Hawaii came back and gave me a trial. I loved it… growing up and watching playing with the Lions and Port. I've always thought I could give it a go and I knew I could match it with the best so I decided to give it a go." (SMH)


About how UH is trying to get him to play *this* season, Harding said:
"The scholarship starts in January next year but they are trying to get me over a little earlier so I can take part in this season coming up, which starts in September, so we're trying to get me over there in August this year." (SMH)


About how the UH scholarship is his best chance to get to the NFL, Harding said:
"The guys say that if you can actually attend college football over there it's a great entry zone into the NFL because it's the first place the NFL looks at for recruiting and especially for the division one teams. If you've got the academic side written up and you can attend a div. one college (like Hawaii), that's the best way to go about it they say, so I've been lucky enough to be able to do that. I did a 40 yard test in 4.4 seconds so that's kind of up there with the receivers in the NFL draft… so that's kind of what caught their eye, I think." (SMH)


About the position he will play for UH, Harding said:
"They call it wide receiver or slot receiver… it's more of a running position or a skill position. It's pretty much the position where the quarterback lines it up and throws to you and you've obviously catch and try and make as many yards as you can. They saw me in the trial and obviously saw my speed and my hands and liked what they saw." (SMH)


About how he went to Grammar School with Karmichael Hunt, who went from rugby to the AFL, Harding said:
"Hopefully I can follow in his footsteps and we can have a good chat about some code-changing when we're older." (SMH)


SMH Note: "Hunt greeted the news on Twitter: Yeh boi! RT @twselwood: Scotty Harding officially off to University of Hawaii to become a wide receiver! Expect a visitor. @scooter_h38"


About how others in Australia could get a chance to make it to the NFL like he will try, Harding said:
"That's the great thing about this is that hopefully it opens up a lot of doors for some other guys who possibly think they have the goods as well and thought that maybe there's no pathway. If guys think they can have a crack, there's definitely a way to do it now, and not just as a punter." (SMH)

SMH Note: "He suggested Melbourne's Liam Jurrah and Hawthorn's Liam Franklin would be perfect for running and catching positions in American football, and burlier types such as Brisbane's Jonathan Brown could excel at tight end or defensive end."


About how there are others in Australian football that could make it in American football, Harding said:
"The good thing about Australian sport is there's such a variety of positions so hopefully we see a few more." (SMH)


http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/latest-aussie-gridiron-recruit-will-not-kick-on-20110527-1f7ij.html