21 Hoosiers sign for 2004 season

Yesterday, a year-long process culminated. \nAnd for 21 future Hoosiers, a new chapter has begun.\nWednesday's National Signing Day was the first day a high school football prospect could sign a letter of intent. \nIU's coach Gerry DiNardo was greeted with 21 signatures highlighted by Illinois' Joliet-Catholic offensive lineman, Jim Jadron, Southfield, Mich., wide receiver, Isaac Price, and two-sport signee, James Hardy, from Elmhurst High School in Fort Wayne.\nThe 6-foot-7 Hardy plans to play wide receiver for DiNardo and play basketball for IU coach Mike Davis.\nTight end coach Mo Moriarity said he is very happy with this signing class.\n"I think we have a really good class coming in," Moriarity said. \nSince DiNardo's tenure at IU began, his program has been hampered by low numbers of scholarship players. This fall, IU had 64 scholarship players, well below the Division I-A maximum of 85. The 2004 signing class is DiNardo's third class at IU.\nThe low scholarship numbers have put IU on an uneven playing field ever since DiNardo arrived in 2002.\nNeedless to say, the coaching staff is excited about having nearly a full compliment of scholarship players for this fall.\n"We're excited that we're finally at the 85 scholarship number," Moriarity said. "It's exciting to know that you are going into the season and will not be short-handed."\nJadron, a Joliet, Ill. native, said he's been getting recruited since he was a sophomore in high school and said he's glad to finally have the process over with.\nJadron chose IU over scholarship offers from Illinois and Colorado. The 6-foot-5, 280 pound offensive lineman verbally committed shortly after his official visit to IU Jan. 9.\nThe Joliet Catholic Academy senior said playing in the Big Ten was one of many attractive features at IU.\n"I have a good chance to play," Jadron said. "I liked coach (Curt) Mallory, and I like the school. I also got along with the players really well. Coach DiNardo was really up front. He told you what he thought, and I got along with him really well. "\nFort Wayne's Hardy will hope to get along with two head coaches at IU as the Elmhurst High School star, who originally committed to only play basketball, has decided to don the Cream and Crimson silks Saturday afternoons, as well.\nHardy said the decision to play two sports was a difficult one and said the biggest challenge will be staying on top of his academic work, as he plans to study business management.\n"It was very difficult," Hardy said. "Every football game I went out with the same mentality as I did for basketball. I feel I have a good opportunity to perform in the Big Ten."\nWhile some coaches might get greedy and want their athletes all for themselves, Davis was happy to share his one-time basketball commitment with the football team, as long as he played basketball when the football season ended.\n"(Davis) was all for it," Hardy said. "He had heard pretty good things about me. He said I could play at the next level in college. As long as I played basketball, it really didn't matter to him. He said you don't want to limit yourself and then look back and wish you would've done something."\nDiNardo hopes this class will help his team, who finished 2-10 last season, do something in 2004.\nThe coaches and team can now shift their focus to the countdown to spring practice and the Sept. 4 opener against Western Michigan.