Alabama Prep Football Star Octaviuse Hardrick Defying Odds, Focused on College

Octaviuse Hardrick earlier this week was asked why the sky’s the limit for him.

As always, the Cottonwood (Alabama) High football standout was direct and forthright, fielding the question as if he expected it.

"The sky is the limit for me because with everything that I have been through in my life, I have literally set myself up for nothing but success," Hardrick told Bleacher Report.

To get a full understanding of why Hardrick, a 19-year-old senior wide receiver, boasts lofty aspirations of defying the odds he's faced in his young life, look no further than the assortment of challenges surrounding his upbringing.

Hardrick’s mother gave birth to him when she was 12 years old. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Hardrick eventually moved to nearby Dothan, where his aunt, Rachael Nodd, became his legal guardian.

While he and his mother still have a close-knit relationship, Hardrick was determined to overcome the obstacles many youngsters endure, particularly when they are born to a teenage mother.

To his credit, he ultimately turned to the gridiron, using the game of football as a platform to prove he has what it takes to make good out of what most people perceive to be an unfavorable situation.

So far, so good for a kid who, as he tells it, has held himself to such high standards on and off the field.

"It will be very special to me to earn a scholarship because it just means that all of my hard work has paid off," Hardrick said. "But that still don’t mean my dreams stop there. After college, I plan on going to the NFL."

The primary target of highly touted Cottonwood quarterback Cory Gill, Hardrick has been the catalyst of the Bears spread offense in recent years and played a huge role in the team advancing to the Class 2A playoffs last year.

Arguably his best effort as a fifth-year varsity player came in 2013 when he generated a team-best 1,114 yards receiving on 71 receptions and 17 touchdowns, numbers that prompted scouts to pay close attention to an athlete many believe can contribute immediately at the collegiate ranks.

"I feel like I performed great my junior year because I accomplished every goal that I set for myself," Hardrick said. "I really worked hard (last) summer to tweak my skills so that I could perform at a high level."

No doubt, the 5'10", 170-pound Hardrick appears well on his way to inking a national letter of intent in early February. According to Hardrick, he’s garnered serious interest from a host of schools, most notably Auburn, Alabama State, Jacksonville State, South Alabama and Southern Miss, among others.

Considering it’s early in the season for a Cottonwood team that took a 1-2 record into Friday night’s home game against Houston Academy of Dothan, the Bears coaching staff expects such a list to increase. This is a trend Hardrick welcomes wholeheartedly; college life is something he has dreamed of ever since he first picked up a football at the age of seven.

"My personal expectation for this year is to first be a leader and just to go out there and have no regrets and to be better than I was my junior year," Hardrick said. "This season is important to me because this is my last year to prove everybody wrong that has ever doubted me, and to bring the city of Cottonwood a state title."

Because of how he has steadfastly gone about clearing the toughest of hurdles he’s endured in his young life, scouts would be hard-pressed to bet against this vibrant, speedy athlete who, for the past 11 years, has drawn nothing but rave reviews on the gridiron.

"I am using football as an outlet to get to college, because for one, I want to do something with my life," Hardrick said. "And two, I don’t want to be stuck in Cottonwood for the rest of my life."

In defying the odds, Hardrick acknowledges he had a solid support system that was comprised largely of a host of family members and educators.

"My biggest supporters in my life is my mom, aunt, grandma, cousins, Lou Davis, Tee Davis, Torenzo Perry, Scotty Lingo and Roderick Nodd," Hardrick said. "My other biggest supporter is my teacher, Mrs. Amy Mcneil. Without her, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today. She has been here for me every step of the way, from seventh grade until now. And for that, I love her with all my heart."

Fortunately for Hardrick, these individuals have much adoration for him. They helped instill in him the values to defy even the toughest of odds.

Andre Johnson is a regular contributor for Bleacher Report. Based in Dallas, Texas, Johnson covers the NFL and the NBA Southwest Division. To reach Johnson, email him at [e-mail]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.