Derek Harden Jr. carries on his father’s legacy (Part One)

Derek Harden Jr. on Signing Day, with his father, Derek Sr., and mother, Tamara.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Now in his sixth season at Southern Illinois, Derek Harden Jr. has been a standout on the offensive line, helping the program make three playoff appearances during the last five years. Behind the scenes, however, he has dealt with serious pain and loss.

During his freshman year, Harden Jr. suffered a devastating knee injury that affected his performance for multiple seasons. In his junior year, he lost his father, Derek Harden Sr., to a two-year battle with brain cancer. He credits his faith in God, and support from Saluki Football, his family and fiancée for guiding him through the tough times.

Voted a team captain prior to the 2025 season, Harden Jr. is carrying on his father’s legacy of leadership, courage and love.

StrongDawgs conversation with Derek Harden Jr.

SD: Growing up in the Atlanta area, when did you first take a liking to football?

DH: My dad took me to a football tryout in second grade, and I fell in love with the game right then. He never played himself— his family couldn’t afford it growing up — but whatever I wanted to do, he supported. I tried basketball, wrestling, football, and it didn’t matter what it was, he was going to be behind me. That’s the kind of dad he was. If I had wanted to be a fisherman or join the marching band, he would have been right there cheering me on.

SD: Were you always an offensive lineman?

DH: I was too big to play anywhere else.

Derek Harden Sr. and Jr.

SD: Tell me about your high school career at Archer and getting recruited to SIU.

DH: We had a strong program under Coach Andy Dyer. He was a hard-nosed, detail-oriented coach, the type of guy who made sure your shirt tails were tucked in and everything was done right. I ended up starting as a sophomore, and over my high school career we went 32–9. My junior year, I played alongside guys now in the NFL — Andrew Booth with the Cowboys and Colby Wooden with the Packers. I committed to SIU late in my junior year. The coaches here didn’t miss a single day; I was getting letters constantly from Coach Hill, Chuka Ndulue, Coach Nate Griffin, Coach Pat Poore, Coach Olson—literally every coach on staff. They showed me more love than any other program, and that made my decision easy. I could have waited for more offers, but this was the place I wanted to be.

Derek Harden Sr. never missed one of his son's games.

SD: Coming from Atlanta, what were your first impressions of Carbondale?

DH: It’s definitely different. The closest city is St. Louis, and even that doesn’t compare to Atlanta. It’s much quieter here, but it’s become home for me.

SD: How much did COVID affect your first year at SIU?

DH: We were supposed to arrive on June 6, but we didn’t get here until two months later. I had gained a lot of weight during that time at home, just eating too much, so I came in heavy. When we did arrive, we were stuck in the dorms for two weeks. Every day I had to walk from Mae Smith Hall to the facility just to get a COVID test. We had to make our own food, but there were no kitchens in the dorms and the dining halls were closed.

SD: Did you know how to cook?

DH: A little. I had picked up some things from my mom, who’s a great cook, but in those dorms there wasn’t much I could do. I didn’t have a car to get groceries, so we just made do with what we had. Honestly, I’d go over to my girlfriend’s dorm a lot and eat all her snacks, and sometimes she’d cook for me in her dorm.

SD: You were able to play one game in the fall of 2020, followed by a spring season. What was that like?

DH: Strange. Our “locker room” was literally under the stadium, so everyone was changing outside in the heat and humidity. We had to wear masks under our helmets. After 40 practices, we played just one game against SEMO. Being away from home during all that, and so isolated, was tough. Then in the spring, we had eight games, and I was able to play in a couple of those. That was exciting for me and gave me a real taste of college football.

SD: It was the fall of 2021 when you injured your knee?

DH: Yes, I tore my ACL in the first game of the season against SEMO. Honestly, I tore just about everything in that knee. I was on crutches for three months. I’m a side sleeper, but I couldn’t even sleep that way because my leg had to hang off the bed. Most nights, the pain was unbearable.

Harden Jr. suffered a serious knee injury during the game at SEMO in 2021.

SD: You came back and made seven starts in 2022. How was the knee at that time?

DH: It was still painful, and my knee wasn’t fully healed. I had to take a lot of ibuprofen to keep the swelling down and even had a cortisone shot mid-season. I couldn’t fully bend or straighten my leg, and it made me wonder if my knee would ever be the same.

SD: In 2023, you started every game and the team made the playoffs. Was the knee feeling better or about the same?

DH: No, it actually got worse. They went back in and cleaned it out again, but I still couldn’t fully extend or bend it. Most games I was playing in great pain, and it got progressively worse as the season went on. A lot of days I woke up in excruciating pain, and by the end of the season, I could barely walk. Still, it felt good to contribute. We went 8-5, beat some strong teams, and made it to the second round of the playoffs. I really wish we had gotten that Idaho win — I thought we had all the pieces to go further.

SD: So after the playoff game, you had another major surgery?

DH: After the 2023 season, I was still in pain. An MRI showed scar tissue, so the plan was another cleanup surgery. I wanted to have it done in Atlanta, but at first the trainers didn’t think insurance would cover it. Then, almost like a miracle, two days before I had to go home, trainer Mike Lyznicki called and told me I was cleared to have the surgery there. Back home, I saw Dr. Maurice Jove, and thank God I did. He ran a more in-depth MRI and told me my ACL was completely gone — nothing there. I had to undergo a two-part surgery. The first part involved filling enlarged or improperly placed bone tunnels with a bone graft to allow the graft material to heal and mature. The second stage was the actual ACL graft placement. Because of that, I had to miss winter workouts and all of spring ball.

SD: That explains why you only played two games in 2024.

DH: Exactly. I didn’t want to repeat the past and rush back. Coach Dan Clark really supported me through that. He knew I wanted to play, but he also knew I had to be realistic. I got into the Indiana State and Missouri State games, but that was it. Honestly, without Coach Clark, our trainers, God, and my fiancée, I don’t know if I’d still be here.

SD: While all this was going on with your knee, something far more painful was happening in your life, wasn’t it?

DH: My dad was diagnosed with brain cancer in the fall of 2022.

SD: Before we go into your dad’s battle with cancer, tell me more about his life and your relationship.

DH: We did everything together. He didn’t know much about football or coaching, but he still came out to every practice and game, always cheering me on. He never missed.

He worked for Comcast for 27 years, often in that bucket truck fixing power lines and digging holes. He was bigger than me—about 370 pounds—and had knee problems like I do. Watching him get up every day in pain, doing that kind of work, gave me motivation. He was a man’s man, and he didn’t complain.

He taught me to handle business first, then enjoy yourself. He was great with money — my granddad used to say if he could save half a penny, he would. Most importantly, he kept his word. If he said he’d do something, he did it. He always told me, “Life is going to throw a lot at you. You’re going to have to man up and deal with it.” He served in the Marine Corps during the Desert Storm War from 1988 to 1992. “Leader” is the word that best described him. Everyone in our family looked up to him — uncles, cousins, even people older than him. Everybody respected Derek Harden Sr.

In Part Two tomorrow, Derek Harden Jr. talks about his dad’s battle with cancer, caring for him during his illness, the support he received from Saluki coaches and teammates, his fiancee, his recovery from knee surgery, and his future plans.