Well, first off, that isn't what he said. Here is the full story from GBI:
Kamal Hardy has an admission.
Because of it, the backup cornerback — he was pressed into duty in the second half of the Nebraska game and at times showed his inexperience — says he’s approaching this week differently, knowing that he might be called on again.
“I wasn’t prepared. I’ll be honest with you,” Hardy said following Wednesday’s practice. “But this week, I’m really prepared. I’ve been watching a lot of film. That’s completely on me.
“Coach (Derrick) Jackson says all the time, ‘If you’re not starting, prepare like you’re a starter.’ That game taught me a valuable lesson, from now on, (to) prepare like I’m a starter. That’s what I’ve been doing, from film studying to being on the field. You make some mistakes here and there (in practice), but we’re here to correct it.”
Hardy might start vs. Illinois on Saturday, depending on the status of senior Da’Wan Hunte, who is rehabbing from a hip flexor. Against Nebraska, Hardy, who played the second half after Hunte was forced to the sideline, had some struggles.
The Huskers came after the reserve frequently, running and throwing to his side of the field. Although it’s certainly not all on him, the Cornhuskers threw for nearly 200 yards in the fourth quarter alone, when they rallied from down 12 for a 25-24 win.
“Who wouldn’t?” Hardy said, asked if Nebraska targeted him specifically. “If you’re the backup corner coming in, it’s a no-brainer, come after him. I’m all for it. If you want to come at me, come at me. The corner position is one of the hardest positions, so you’ve got to be prepared and ready and I’m (now) prepared for it.”
Hunte, though, is hoping he can return on Saturday. But he’s not practiced yet this week, as he’s rehabbing the hip, first injured vs. Rutgers then aggravated against Nebraska. He re-injured it late in the first quarter, when he slipped during the third-down play that Stanley Morgan committed offensive pass interference. Hunte made it through the rest of the half, but when he tried to warm up for the second, he couldn’t get loose.
He says he’s day-to-day.
“I was a little disappointed I wasn’t able to finish the game just to help my team, but things happen,” Hunte said. “That’s why I’m working to make sure I can get back out there on Saturday.”
But if not, Purdue will likely turn to Hardy once again, although he’ll be more prepared, he says, looking harder at Illinois film and focusing more intently in practice.
“I learned my lesson,” he said. “I feel I made plays in the Nebraska game, just based off athleticism. But when watching film, it goes a long way as far as seeing it on the field, ‘All right, I know what’s about to happen.’ When I was out there, it was more of ‘OK, I’m out here, what’s he going to do?’” (KC)
And to be fair, in that position there really aren't any great answers. You can believe you just weren't adequately prepared for that big of a role that day, which gives you a mindset going into the next game that you have the power to do something about it, or you can believe you're just not good enough.
