…and sports just took that to another level. Whenever I approach a set, I always feel as though the cast, crew, director, are all part of a team. I have always married athletics and art, two huge parts of my life.”
After graduating from college, Hardwick relocated to San Diego for a spot on the San Diego Chargers (NFL). However, a knee injury cut his football career short.
Despite this setback in his sports career, his acting career continues to shine. Omari has been featured on numerous TV shows, including Being Mary Jane, Saved and Dark Blue. He’s also appeared in several films, including Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna, The A-Team, Kick-Ass and Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls.
He has also written over 4,000 poems.
Because his parents set the bar so high for Omari, he takes time to process ech moment of his life in order to be better and grow further. Here’s three life lessons he learned before the big screen:
Teamwork
Football requires a unique brand of teamwork. When you’re a part of a team, understanding your role and trusting your teammates to know their role is critical.
Perseverance
Football provides a variety of challenges that will test (and help to build) your perseverance. You will sometimes lose a game, and you will sometimes have to deal with situations that will challenge you emotionally, physically and mentally.
Discipline
Football requires the player to discipline themselves and to work hard. There is also a beautiful life lesson in the scrutiny and evaluation process.